Boxing News World
Wednesday 23 December 2009
Some Bloody Truth, TSS Style -- The Sweet Science
By Ron Borges, The Sweet Science
There are more than a few things that could yet stop the much-anticipated fight between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao but despite the headlines of the moment, blood won’t be one of them. Blood, after all, is what boxing is all about.
Normally the issue is the spilling of blood. Spill too much and you lose. Don’t spill enough of the other guy’s and you lose. Get it in your eye, you may lose. Get it in the other guy’s eye – sneak attack! It’s bloody important the matter of blood in boxing, but Tuesday the issue became bloody awful when Mayweather’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, was informed by Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, that the pound-for-pound champion was refusing to agree to a blood test 30 days before what is expected to be a March 13 showdown between the two fighters that could produce the largest live gate and biggest pay-per-view audience in boxing history.
According to Golden Boy Promotions, who have represented Mayweather throughout the lengthy and on-going negotiations with Arum’s company, Pacquiao is refusing to submit to Olympic style drug testing as mandated by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Mayweather’s representatives want to be assured Pacquiao, who began his career as a 106-pound fighter but now is overwhelming men as big as 147-pound champion Miguel Cotto and former middleweight belt holder De La Hoya, is not using performance enhancing drugs.
Frankly, it’s not an unreasonable request but then again neither was Pacquiao’s alleged counter proposal that he have his blood tested only before the first press conference that begins the promotion and again after the fight. Doping experts might argue that Pacquiao could be able to have a masking agent in his system by then that would hide any possible use of performance enhancing drugs but unless the two were going to agree to random testing at any time leading up to the fight, which neither are likely to do, what’s the difference because if he knows roughly when the “random’’ test is coming would he not be just as prepared to mask anything he was taking?
Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy’s CEO, said Pacquiao’s refusal has put in jeopardy a fight that is being looked upon as likely to break the live gate record of $18,419,200 and the all-time pay-per-view sales record of 2.44 million, both set two years ago when Mayweather defeated De La Hoya at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. If you truly believe a dispute over when a blood test will be taken is going to keep that kind of money out of the bank accounts of Mayweather and Pacquiao well, you are a very naïve person.
Mayweather has been playing psychological warfare with Pacquiao from the outset, constantly mentioning that while he doesn’t know what the bitter taste of defeat is, Pacquiao does. That is a regularly reminder to Pacquiao that while to this point Mayweather has been unbeatable, the pound-for-pound champion has not.
This latest insistence on blood testing for performance enhancing drugs 30 days before the fight seems only another way to rub Pacquiao the wrong way and try to win the fight before the fight – the psychological one that is often as important as the boxing match itself.
Although nothing is signed or finalized, Schaefer claimed Tuesday that most major points had been agreed to until he was informed by Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank, that Pacquiao was not willing to be tested so close to the fight. This led to a blitz of press releases designed, frankly, to call Pacquiao’s willingness to fight or competitive honesty into question.
“Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes such as Lance Armstrong and Olympians Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant,’’ Schaefer said in a prepared statement.
Mayweather then ramped up the pressure on Pacquiao in a companion statement saying, “I understand Pacquiao not liking his blood taken, because frankly I don’t know anyone who really does but in a fight of this magnitude I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level.
“I’ve already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night.’’
Mayweather went on to say he “hoped’’ Pacquiao would change his mind and his long-time advisor and confidante, Leonard Ellerbee, hinted that a continued refusal could jeopardize the most lucrative fight in boxing history.
“…it is an egregious act to deny the testing and hence, deny the millions of fans the right to see this amazing fight,’’ Ellerbee said. “We just want to make sure there is a level playing field in a sport that is a man-to-man contest that relies on strength and ability.’’
Fair enough and far from unreasonable, but if Pacquiao agrees to pre-and-post fight blood testing for PEDs, which it seems he already has, the likelihood that this bout will not happen because of a 30-day blood test not being in effect is well, RIDICULOUS. By their own admittance, Pacquiao has already agreed to having blood drawn before and after the fight, which is more than the Nevada State Athletic Commission demands. The NSAC only tests urine and does not do more sophisticated tests for human growth hormone.
A week ago Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said his fighter would take any blood test they wanted. He feels Mayweather is fearful of Pacquiao’s power and the insistence on drawing blood so close to the fight indicates their concern. Perhaps so or perhaps this is just another mind game designed to create drama where no additional tension is needed, but regardless, if this fight were stopped before anyone is bleeding it will make boxing the biggest laughingstock in sports.
It would also be another in a long line of signs that the people who run it are hellbent on marginalizing it even more than it already is. The fact of the matter is these two fighters need each other because they’d have to fight three or four times to earn what each will be paid in one night. If the sport really wants to get back into the consciousness of the general sports fan boxing needs them to fight too and that’s the bloody truth.
So there may be continued discussion of this issue and other issues for some time; but in the end, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will fight, because while blood may be thicker than water, it is not thicker than cash.
Source: thesweetscience.com
There are more than a few things that could yet stop the much-anticipated fight between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao but despite the headlines of the moment, blood won’t be one of them. Blood, after all, is what boxing is all about.
Normally the issue is the spilling of blood. Spill too much and you lose. Don’t spill enough of the other guy’s and you lose. Get it in your eye, you may lose. Get it in the other guy’s eye – sneak attack! It’s bloody important the matter of blood in boxing, but Tuesday the issue became bloody awful when Mayweather’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, was informed by Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, that the pound-for-pound champion was refusing to agree to a blood test 30 days before what is expected to be a March 13 showdown between the two fighters that could produce the largest live gate and biggest pay-per-view audience in boxing history.
According to Golden Boy Promotions, who have represented Mayweather throughout the lengthy and on-going negotiations with Arum’s company, Pacquiao is refusing to submit to Olympic style drug testing as mandated by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Mayweather’s representatives want to be assured Pacquiao, who began his career as a 106-pound fighter but now is overwhelming men as big as 147-pound champion Miguel Cotto and former middleweight belt holder De La Hoya, is not using performance enhancing drugs.
Frankly, it’s not an unreasonable request but then again neither was Pacquiao’s alleged counter proposal that he have his blood tested only before the first press conference that begins the promotion and again after the fight. Doping experts might argue that Pacquiao could be able to have a masking agent in his system by then that would hide any possible use of performance enhancing drugs but unless the two were going to agree to random testing at any time leading up to the fight, which neither are likely to do, what’s the difference because if he knows roughly when the “random’’ test is coming would he not be just as prepared to mask anything he was taking?
Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy’s CEO, said Pacquiao’s refusal has put in jeopardy a fight that is being looked upon as likely to break the live gate record of $18,419,200 and the all-time pay-per-view sales record of 2.44 million, both set two years ago when Mayweather defeated De La Hoya at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. If you truly believe a dispute over when a blood test will be taken is going to keep that kind of money out of the bank accounts of Mayweather and Pacquiao well, you are a very naïve person.
Mayweather has been playing psychological warfare with Pacquiao from the outset, constantly mentioning that while he doesn’t know what the bitter taste of defeat is, Pacquiao does. That is a regularly reminder to Pacquiao that while to this point Mayweather has been unbeatable, the pound-for-pound champion has not.
This latest insistence on blood testing for performance enhancing drugs 30 days before the fight seems only another way to rub Pacquiao the wrong way and try to win the fight before the fight – the psychological one that is often as important as the boxing match itself.
Although nothing is signed or finalized, Schaefer claimed Tuesday that most major points had been agreed to until he was informed by Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank, that Pacquiao was not willing to be tested so close to the fight. This led to a blitz of press releases designed, frankly, to call Pacquiao’s willingness to fight or competitive honesty into question.
“Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes such as Lance Armstrong and Olympians Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant,’’ Schaefer said in a prepared statement.
Mayweather then ramped up the pressure on Pacquiao in a companion statement saying, “I understand Pacquiao not liking his blood taken, because frankly I don’t know anyone who really does but in a fight of this magnitude I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level.
“I’ve already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night.’’
Mayweather went on to say he “hoped’’ Pacquiao would change his mind and his long-time advisor and confidante, Leonard Ellerbee, hinted that a continued refusal could jeopardize the most lucrative fight in boxing history.
“…it is an egregious act to deny the testing and hence, deny the millions of fans the right to see this amazing fight,’’ Ellerbee said. “We just want to make sure there is a level playing field in a sport that is a man-to-man contest that relies on strength and ability.’’
Fair enough and far from unreasonable, but if Pacquiao agrees to pre-and-post fight blood testing for PEDs, which it seems he already has, the likelihood that this bout will not happen because of a 30-day blood test not being in effect is well, RIDICULOUS. By their own admittance, Pacquiao has already agreed to having blood drawn before and after the fight, which is more than the Nevada State Athletic Commission demands. The NSAC only tests urine and does not do more sophisticated tests for human growth hormone.
A week ago Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said his fighter would take any blood test they wanted. He feels Mayweather is fearful of Pacquiao’s power and the insistence on drawing blood so close to the fight indicates their concern. Perhaps so or perhaps this is just another mind game designed to create drama where no additional tension is needed, but regardless, if this fight were stopped before anyone is bleeding it will make boxing the biggest laughingstock in sports.
It would also be another in a long line of signs that the people who run it are hellbent on marginalizing it even more than it already is. The fact of the matter is these two fighters need each other because they’d have to fight three or four times to earn what each will be paid in one night. If the sport really wants to get back into the consciousness of the general sports fan boxing needs them to fight too and that’s the bloody truth.
So there may be continued discussion of this issue and other issues for some time; but in the end, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will fight, because while blood may be thicker than water, it is not thicker than cash.
Source: thesweetscience.com
The Rules Regarding Blood That May Put Mayweather-Pacquiao in the Crypt -- 8CountNews.com
Paul Haberman Esq.
A Look at the Anti-Doping Regulations That May Kill Boxing’s Mega- Fight of 2010 and How They Would be Adopted for The Mayweather-Pacquiao Bout
It is being widely reported this week that the proposed mega-fight between the two best fighters in professional boxing today, Filipino sensation Manny (Pac Man) Pacquiao and the undefeated Floyd (Money) Mayweather, Jr., tentatively scheduled for March 13, 2010, may now be in serious jeopardy. The reason: Pacquiao does not wish to contractually consent to Olympic-style drug testing procedures. According to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com:
“Olympic style drug testing is more rigorous than the drug testing performed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission [the commission with jurisdiction over Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, where the fight is reportedly now scheduled to be held] and other state commissions. It would involve random blood and urine testing before and after the fight. Nevada commission testing only tests urine for banned substances, only just before the fight and once immediately following the fight.”
1 Mayweather, whose father has been quoted in the press since after Pacquiao’s November 14, 2009 bout with Miguel Cotto as saying that he believed that Pacquiao uses performance enhancing drugs, reportedly wants a provision for random drug testing in their bout agreement “to ensure fair play and sportsmanship by both fighters.”
2 The Pacquiao camp, in turn, has reportedly stated that Pacquiao has difficulties with taking blood and does not wish to do so in close proximity to the fight.
3 Regardless of the rationale, two of the many questions that arise are where exactly does this request find its origin, and what are some of the possible implications and extensions of contracting to Olympic-style drug testing? A quick analysis of each question follows.
The Regulatory Origins of Olympic-Style Drug Testing
2009 World Doping Code
The 2009 World Doping Code (“WDC”), as instituted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”), the international anti-doping governing body for amateur sports, mandates that a given nation’s anti-doping agency “[p]lan and conduct an effective number of In-Competition and Out-of-Competition tests on Athletes over whom they have jurisdiction[.]” WDC Article 5.1. All such athletes shall be subject to the “whereabouts requirement” of WADA’s “International Standard for Testing.” Id. The “whereabouts requirement” mandates that an athlete that is selected for out-of-competition drug testing “shall provide accurate, current location information” such that they may be subjected to drug testing at all times prior to a competition.4 This requirement is in place so that a given agency knows where to find an athlete at all times for drug test administration. All such out-of-competition testing “shall be initiated and directed by both international and national organizations.” WDC Article 5.2.5
United States Olympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policies
As inferred above, WADA delegates some of its out-of-competition drug testing to an individual nation’s anti-doping agency. In the United States, the agencies that share that responsibility are the United States Olympic Committee (“USOC”) and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (“USADA”). Under the USOC’s National Anti-Doping Policies, effective January 1, 2009, all athletes that are eligible for inclusion on the United States Olympic or Paralympic Teams shall participate in a “registered testing pool”6 organized by USADA “for a period of at least 12 months before the commencement of the Games, provided, however, in exceptional circumstances, for good cause shown in writing, the USOC CEO may waive a portion of this 12 month period.” USOC National Anti-Doping Policies (“NADP”) at 4. During that 12 month period, their eligibility for participation in a given international competition can be revoked if they test positive for any number of a myriad of banned substances. USADA carves out an exception for “therapeutic use” that includes situations where “emergency treatment or treatment of an acute medical condition was necessary.” 7 While other exceptions exist as well, this particular one could prove relevant to the discussion below, as there has been some history in boxing of “therapeutic use” claims in connection with positive drug testing.
Possible Implications and Extensions of Employing Olympic-Style Drug Testing Before Mayweather-Pacquiao
Despite the fairly long-winded summary of the regulatory foundation of Olympic-style drug testing above, its application in Mayweather-Pacquiao simply means that each boxer would be subject to random drug testing throughout the course of their respective training camps. WADA and USADA would be replaced in this instance by a neutral outside laboratory or agency selected by the camps to conduct the random testing. If the camps fully embrace the rules summarized above, both Mayweather and Pacquiao will be mandated to report where they are at all times to the selected outside laboratory or agency so that the laboratory or agency knows where to send its people for conduction of the random tests. Since this testing requirement would come about by contract and not by any governing law, it could theoretically be up to the camps whether or not to allow for a “therapeutic use” exception.”
If Pacquiao employs a similar training camp as he did for his bout with Cotto, a “whereabouts requirement” would mandate that Pacquiao had to report each and every time that he left Los Angeles, home of the Wild Card Gym, the base of operations for his lead trainer, Freddie Roach, and went over to his training facilities in Philippines, and vice versa. Likewise, should Mayweather decide to train outside of his home base in Las Vegas, at altitude in Big Bear, California, for example, he too would be responsible for immediately informing the designated laboratory or agency. Of these possible scenarios, the trickiest for random testing purposes would be when Pacquiao trains in the Philippines, which could result in sizeable expenses for the promoters if they have to pay to send the testing personnel overseas. However, if Pacquiao were not to be tested during any stay in the Philippines, it would be as if he had his own personal exception to the random drug testing rule for as long as he stayed there.
The possibility of employing the “therapeutic use” exception could potentially open the door to controversy, and indeed has throughout recent boxing history. Notably, former multi-division world champion James (Lights Out) Toney tested positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone following his unanimous decision win over John (The Quiet Man) Ruiz for the World Boxing Association heavyweight championship in 2005. Toney vehemently denied using steroids for performance enhancement purposes. Instead, Toney alleged that he ingested nandrolone for therapeutic purposes, as it assisted in the recovery from an earlier biceps and triceps surgery. Nonetheless, Toney was stripped of the WBA title and his decision win was changed to a “no-contest” by the New York State Athletic Commission.
Here, a “therapeutic use” exception could prove useful to both boxers. As documented on the HBO Series “24/7” during Mayweather’s preparation for his bout for Britain’s Ricky Hatton, Mayweather’s body apparently requires a host of therapeutic treatments as a result of the wear and tear of his many years of being a top-shelf athlete. It certainly would not surprise anyone if Pacquiao had similar physical ailments, though they have not been documented in any of the “24/7” programs on his bouts. Regardless, if either one sustained an appreciable training injury that could either result in the fight being postponed or the use of an ordinarily banned substance to expedite treatment and preserve the date, Mayweather and Pacquiao would have some decisions to make.
One possible solution would be to incorporate a “therapeutic use” exception alongside a provision for submission to an independent medical examination after or just before the use of a banned substance, so that a neutral outside doctor selected by the aggrieved camp could evaluate the boxer at issue as to the severity of his injury and provide an opinion as to whether they is any alternative to using the banned substance to timely and effectively treat the alleged injury. This could get messy, however, as one party could theoretically then request a second examination by another outside doctor if they do not hear the answer they want. It may also end up being moot, since if the substance at issue is banned in Nevada and shows up during Nevada’s mandatory testing, the fight could be off or the decision changed to a no-contest anyway. More generally, such an examination could be disruptive to a training camp. Nonetheless, if the camps wanted safeguards in place in exchange for allowing a “therapeutic use” exception, and to minimize the controversy generated by any such use, an independent medical examination would be one avenue to consider.
In the end, whether Olympic-style drug testing of any form, or the bout as a whole, takes place in 2010 will come down to no more than whether Mayweather and Pacquiao’s people can iron out this difference over testing, and any others outstanding, in the coming weeks. As it is, the March 13, 2010 date cannot undergo much more delay in being made official, as press conferences have to be commenced, television production organized, and training camps formulated and begun. For the good of boxing’s continued climb back into the mainstream, here’s hoping they work this out soon and that Mayweather-Pacquiao does not get sent to the crypt over blood.
Paul Stuart Haberman, Esq. is an attorney at the New York law firm of Heidell, Pittoni, Murphy & Bach, LLP. He is also a New York State licensed boxing manager and the Chairman of the Sports Law Committee of the New York County Lawyers Association. He can be e-mailed at haberman.paul@gmail.com. ©
Source: 8countnews.com
A Look at the Anti-Doping Regulations That May Kill Boxing’s Mega- Fight of 2010 and How They Would be Adopted for The Mayweather-Pacquiao Bout
It is being widely reported this week that the proposed mega-fight between the two best fighters in professional boxing today, Filipino sensation Manny (Pac Man) Pacquiao and the undefeated Floyd (Money) Mayweather, Jr., tentatively scheduled for March 13, 2010, may now be in serious jeopardy. The reason: Pacquiao does not wish to contractually consent to Olympic-style drug testing procedures. According to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com:
“Olympic style drug testing is more rigorous than the drug testing performed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission [the commission with jurisdiction over Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, where the fight is reportedly now scheduled to be held] and other state commissions. It would involve random blood and urine testing before and after the fight. Nevada commission testing only tests urine for banned substances, only just before the fight and once immediately following the fight.”
1 Mayweather, whose father has been quoted in the press since after Pacquiao’s November 14, 2009 bout with Miguel Cotto as saying that he believed that Pacquiao uses performance enhancing drugs, reportedly wants a provision for random drug testing in their bout agreement “to ensure fair play and sportsmanship by both fighters.”
2 The Pacquiao camp, in turn, has reportedly stated that Pacquiao has difficulties with taking blood and does not wish to do so in close proximity to the fight.
3 Regardless of the rationale, two of the many questions that arise are where exactly does this request find its origin, and what are some of the possible implications and extensions of contracting to Olympic-style drug testing? A quick analysis of each question follows.
The Regulatory Origins of Olympic-Style Drug Testing
2009 World Doping Code
The 2009 World Doping Code (“WDC”), as instituted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”), the international anti-doping governing body for amateur sports, mandates that a given nation’s anti-doping agency “[p]lan and conduct an effective number of In-Competition and Out-of-Competition tests on Athletes over whom they have jurisdiction[.]” WDC Article 5.1. All such athletes shall be subject to the “whereabouts requirement” of WADA’s “International Standard for Testing.” Id. The “whereabouts requirement” mandates that an athlete that is selected for out-of-competition drug testing “shall provide accurate, current location information” such that they may be subjected to drug testing at all times prior to a competition.4 This requirement is in place so that a given agency knows where to find an athlete at all times for drug test administration. All such out-of-competition testing “shall be initiated and directed by both international and national organizations.” WDC Article 5.2.5
United States Olympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policies
As inferred above, WADA delegates some of its out-of-competition drug testing to an individual nation’s anti-doping agency. In the United States, the agencies that share that responsibility are the United States Olympic Committee (“USOC”) and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (“USADA”). Under the USOC’s National Anti-Doping Policies, effective January 1, 2009, all athletes that are eligible for inclusion on the United States Olympic or Paralympic Teams shall participate in a “registered testing pool”6 organized by USADA “for a period of at least 12 months before the commencement of the Games, provided, however, in exceptional circumstances, for good cause shown in writing, the USOC CEO may waive a portion of this 12 month period.” USOC National Anti-Doping Policies (“NADP”) at 4. During that 12 month period, their eligibility for participation in a given international competition can be revoked if they test positive for any number of a myriad of banned substances. USADA carves out an exception for “therapeutic use” that includes situations where “emergency treatment or treatment of an acute medical condition was necessary.” 7 While other exceptions exist as well, this particular one could prove relevant to the discussion below, as there has been some history in boxing of “therapeutic use” claims in connection with positive drug testing.
Possible Implications and Extensions of Employing Olympic-Style Drug Testing Before Mayweather-Pacquiao
Despite the fairly long-winded summary of the regulatory foundation of Olympic-style drug testing above, its application in Mayweather-Pacquiao simply means that each boxer would be subject to random drug testing throughout the course of their respective training camps. WADA and USADA would be replaced in this instance by a neutral outside laboratory or agency selected by the camps to conduct the random testing. If the camps fully embrace the rules summarized above, both Mayweather and Pacquiao will be mandated to report where they are at all times to the selected outside laboratory or agency so that the laboratory or agency knows where to send its people for conduction of the random tests. Since this testing requirement would come about by contract and not by any governing law, it could theoretically be up to the camps whether or not to allow for a “therapeutic use” exception.”
If Pacquiao employs a similar training camp as he did for his bout with Cotto, a “whereabouts requirement” would mandate that Pacquiao had to report each and every time that he left Los Angeles, home of the Wild Card Gym, the base of operations for his lead trainer, Freddie Roach, and went over to his training facilities in Philippines, and vice versa. Likewise, should Mayweather decide to train outside of his home base in Las Vegas, at altitude in Big Bear, California, for example, he too would be responsible for immediately informing the designated laboratory or agency. Of these possible scenarios, the trickiest for random testing purposes would be when Pacquiao trains in the Philippines, which could result in sizeable expenses for the promoters if they have to pay to send the testing personnel overseas. However, if Pacquiao were not to be tested during any stay in the Philippines, it would be as if he had his own personal exception to the random drug testing rule for as long as he stayed there.
The possibility of employing the “therapeutic use” exception could potentially open the door to controversy, and indeed has throughout recent boxing history. Notably, former multi-division world champion James (Lights Out) Toney tested positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone following his unanimous decision win over John (The Quiet Man) Ruiz for the World Boxing Association heavyweight championship in 2005. Toney vehemently denied using steroids for performance enhancement purposes. Instead, Toney alleged that he ingested nandrolone for therapeutic purposes, as it assisted in the recovery from an earlier biceps and triceps surgery. Nonetheless, Toney was stripped of the WBA title and his decision win was changed to a “no-contest” by the New York State Athletic Commission.
Here, a “therapeutic use” exception could prove useful to both boxers. As documented on the HBO Series “24/7” during Mayweather’s preparation for his bout for Britain’s Ricky Hatton, Mayweather’s body apparently requires a host of therapeutic treatments as a result of the wear and tear of his many years of being a top-shelf athlete. It certainly would not surprise anyone if Pacquiao had similar physical ailments, though they have not been documented in any of the “24/7” programs on his bouts. Regardless, if either one sustained an appreciable training injury that could either result in the fight being postponed or the use of an ordinarily banned substance to expedite treatment and preserve the date, Mayweather and Pacquiao would have some decisions to make.
One possible solution would be to incorporate a “therapeutic use” exception alongside a provision for submission to an independent medical examination after or just before the use of a banned substance, so that a neutral outside doctor selected by the aggrieved camp could evaluate the boxer at issue as to the severity of his injury and provide an opinion as to whether they is any alternative to using the banned substance to timely and effectively treat the alleged injury. This could get messy, however, as one party could theoretically then request a second examination by another outside doctor if they do not hear the answer they want. It may also end up being moot, since if the substance at issue is banned in Nevada and shows up during Nevada’s mandatory testing, the fight could be off or the decision changed to a no-contest anyway. More generally, such an examination could be disruptive to a training camp. Nonetheless, if the camps wanted safeguards in place in exchange for allowing a “therapeutic use” exception, and to minimize the controversy generated by any such use, an independent medical examination would be one avenue to consider.
In the end, whether Olympic-style drug testing of any form, or the bout as a whole, takes place in 2010 will come down to no more than whether Mayweather and Pacquiao’s people can iron out this difference over testing, and any others outstanding, in the coming weeks. As it is, the March 13, 2010 date cannot undergo much more delay in being made official, as press conferences have to be commenced, television production organized, and training camps formulated and begun. For the good of boxing’s continued climb back into the mainstream, here’s hoping they work this out soon and that Mayweather-Pacquiao does not get sent to the crypt over blood.
Paul Stuart Haberman, Esq. is an attorney at the New York law firm of Heidell, Pittoni, Murphy & Bach, LLP. He is also a New York State licensed boxing manager and the Chairman of the Sports Law Committee of the New York County Lawyers Association. He can be e-mailed at haberman.paul@gmail.com. ©
Source: 8countnews.com
Manny Pacquiao must call bloodsucker Floyd Mayweather's bluff -- Examiner.com
By Michael Marley, Examiner.com
It’s time.
It’s time for Manny Pacquiao to tell Floyd No Joy Mayweather Jr. to take a hike and I don’t mean in the Red Rock scenic area near Las Vegas.
It’s time for Pacman to tell Money May to take a long walk off a short pier.
It’s time for Megamanny to tell this Vampire, this Bloodsucker, to throw away his GPS and really get lost.
I mean, who died and left Mayweather boss? Who appointed this pompous pugilist the Anti Doping czar of boxing?
Team Pacquiao needs to call Mayweather’s blood bluff quick, fast and in a hurry.
Sure, Mayweather is going to leave a certain $25 to $30 million on the table?
Oh, sure, maybe he can have a rematch with another midget like Juan Manuel Marquez.
Or maybe he will fight Sugar Shane Mosley as he nears his 40th birthday.
Maybe he will move up in weight suddenly and challenge 45ish Bernard Hopkins or one of the Klitschko Brothers.
Yeah, right.
If the Pacquaio-Mayweather fight is off, is the Giant Jackpot has crapped out, then the world will know who killed the so called Dream Fight.
Only one man will be responsible.
Look in the mirror, No Joy, and you will see his face looking back at you.
Floyd Mayweather, boxing’s Dracula or should I say Blackula like the goofy movie of the same name?
Draining the blood of the sport which has made him rich and famous, that will be Mayweather’s lasting “legacy.”
Call Mayweather’s bluff, Pacman, and watch him fold quicker than a two dollar umbrella in a hurricane.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
It’s time.
It’s time for Manny Pacquiao to tell Floyd No Joy Mayweather Jr. to take a hike and I don’t mean in the Red Rock scenic area near Las Vegas.
It’s time for Pacman to tell Money May to take a long walk off a short pier.
It’s time for Megamanny to tell this Vampire, this Bloodsucker, to throw away his GPS and really get lost.
I mean, who died and left Mayweather boss? Who appointed this pompous pugilist the Anti Doping czar of boxing?
Team Pacquiao needs to call Mayweather’s blood bluff quick, fast and in a hurry.
Sure, Mayweather is going to leave a certain $25 to $30 million on the table?
Oh, sure, maybe he can have a rematch with another midget like Juan Manuel Marquez.
Or maybe he will fight Sugar Shane Mosley as he nears his 40th birthday.
Maybe he will move up in weight suddenly and challenge 45ish Bernard Hopkins or one of the Klitschko Brothers.
Yeah, right.
If the Pacquaio-Mayweather fight is off, is the Giant Jackpot has crapped out, then the world will know who killed the so called Dream Fight.
Only one man will be responsible.
Look in the mirror, No Joy, and you will see his face looking back at you.
Floyd Mayweather, boxing’s Dracula or should I say Blackula like the goofy movie of the same name?
Draining the blood of the sport which has made him rich and famous, that will be Mayweather’s lasting “legacy.”
Call Mayweather’s bluff, Pacman, and watch him fold quicker than a two dollar umbrella in a hurricane.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
We're supposed to believe that Manny Pacquiao is afraid of a little needle? -- The Huffington Post
Dr. Johnny Benjamin, Spine Surgeon, Orthopedic Surgeon
ESPN's senior boxing writer, Dan Rafael, reported that on the eve of signing the contract for boxing's biggest mega-fight in decades, Manny Pacquiao (not Floyd Mayweather) is balking at a provision for Olympic-style testing for performance enhancing drugs (PED's) and threatening to walk away.
The potential mega-mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is seen by all in the boxing and the sports communities as having the ability to surpass all known monetary standards. This fight is expected to sell approximately 3 million pay-per-views (ppv's); with ppv's expected to sell for at least $50 each, you can easily begin to calculate the magnitude of money potentially generated by this sporting spectacle.
All of the usual sticking points have apparently been settled: fighters split of proceeds (purse), site (MGM Garden Arena...sorry Jerry Jones and Dallas Cowboy Stadium), the date (March 13th), weight limit and financial penalties for being over the weight limit. Therefore, it begs to question- Why would Manny Pacquiao hesitate and jeopardize the largest payday in modern boxing history?
Pacquiao apparently feels that the current Nevada State Athletic Commission's standards are adequate. He also states that he hates to have his blood drawn as required by Olympic-style testing, known as WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency or US Anti-Doping Agency) testing. Furthermore, he is superstitious and has never undergone this procedure before any of his other major fights.
A bit of information is in order to help better divine his possible true motivation.
I will not bore you with the minutia but the most glaring differences between Nevada's process and WADA's are: the samples being tested, the level of scrutiny and what substances can be easily detected in those samples. Simply put. Nevada tests urine and WADA tests blood for banned substances.
Testing urine can find an illegal drop in a bucket. Testing blood can find an illegal drop in an Olympic-size swimming pool. Possibly far more important, current urine testing does NOT test for Human Growth Hormone (Hgh) and blood testing does.
Athletes in general and fighters in specific are definitely superstitious and no one likes getting their blood drawn. But let's be honest. If this fight takes place, each fighter stand's to make around $50 million...win lose or draw.
And the last time that I checked there is a recession going on.
Follow Dr. Johnny Benjamin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/drjcbenjamin
Source: huffingtonpost.com
ESPN's senior boxing writer, Dan Rafael, reported that on the eve of signing the contract for boxing's biggest mega-fight in decades, Manny Pacquiao (not Floyd Mayweather) is balking at a provision for Olympic-style testing for performance enhancing drugs (PED's) and threatening to walk away.
The potential mega-mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is seen by all in the boxing and the sports communities as having the ability to surpass all known monetary standards. This fight is expected to sell approximately 3 million pay-per-views (ppv's); with ppv's expected to sell for at least $50 each, you can easily begin to calculate the magnitude of money potentially generated by this sporting spectacle.
All of the usual sticking points have apparently been settled: fighters split of proceeds (purse), site (MGM Garden Arena...sorry Jerry Jones and Dallas Cowboy Stadium), the date (March 13th), weight limit and financial penalties for being over the weight limit. Therefore, it begs to question- Why would Manny Pacquiao hesitate and jeopardize the largest payday in modern boxing history?
Pacquiao apparently feels that the current Nevada State Athletic Commission's standards are adequate. He also states that he hates to have his blood drawn as required by Olympic-style testing, known as WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency or US Anti-Doping Agency) testing. Furthermore, he is superstitious and has never undergone this procedure before any of his other major fights.
A bit of information is in order to help better divine his possible true motivation.
I will not bore you with the minutia but the most glaring differences between Nevada's process and WADA's are: the samples being tested, the level of scrutiny and what substances can be easily detected in those samples. Simply put. Nevada tests urine and WADA tests blood for banned substances.
Testing urine can find an illegal drop in a bucket. Testing blood can find an illegal drop in an Olympic-size swimming pool. Possibly far more important, current urine testing does NOT test for Human Growth Hormone (Hgh) and blood testing does.
Athletes in general and fighters in specific are definitely superstitious and no one likes getting their blood drawn. But let's be honest. If this fight takes place, each fighter stand's to make around $50 million...win lose or draw.
And the last time that I checked there is a recession going on.
Follow Dr. Johnny Benjamin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/drjcbenjamin
Source: huffingtonpost.com
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fight strict drug-testing may kill the fight -- Barcelona Reporter
Barcelona Reporter
Negotiations are at an impasse over Pacquiao’s failure to agree to random Olympic-style drug testing, said Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, on Tuesday.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fight strict drug-testing may kill the fight
Nearly every detail is finalized for Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao to fight on March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas but one. That one detail, though, may kill the fight.
Negotiations are at an impasse over Pacquiao’s failure to agree to random Olympic-style drug testing, said Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, on Tuesday.
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said his fighter is willing to comply with strict drug-testing standards, but Roach won’t allow Pacquiao to have blood drawn 48 hours before the fight.
Ellerbe said he would not let Mayweather enter the ring unless Pacquiao agreed to it.
Both sides agreed that the drug testing issue is the only hurdle preventing the fight from being finished. Earlier Tuesday, Golden Boy Promotions officially requested March 13 from the Nevada State Athletic Commission to host the show.
“As Floyd’s management, we are insistent that there be a level playing field,” Ellerbe said. “This is in the best interests of the fighters, the fans and the sport. If you want a level playing field, the best way to do it is to have Olympic-style, random drug testing administered by the premier agency in the world, the [United States Anti-Doping Agency].”
Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said the demand is “absolutely crazy,” done simply to harass Pacquiao, who is squeamish about needles, and is proof that Mayweather doesn’t really want the fight.
Arum said the request has been an unsettled issue since the first day of negotiations last month.
“We’re not going to agree to have Manny give blood in training, because that’s stupid,” Arum said. “Every doctor in the world will tell you that is stupid. He’ll give his blood at the beginning of the year and he’s willing to be urine-tested 24/7, but blood doesn’t show [expletive] and he’s not going to do it.”
Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser and de facto manager, said Pacquiao believes drawing blood so close to a competition harms the body, but the boxer is willing to have his blood drawn a month away from the fight as a compromise.
Koncz said Pacquiao was willing to pass on the fight if it came to that.
“Manny has a lot more options than Mayweather does,” Koncz said. “Manny is clean and he’s never done a thing, and he’s willing to go to great lengths to prove it. It’s my understanding that this stuff doesn’t just leave your system overnight.
“He’ll take a blood test immediately after the fight, if that’s what they insist upon. But Manny believes very strongly that it would be harmful to him to draw blood that soon before the fight and he plain and simple isn’t going to do it.”
In a statement released by his publicist, Mayweather said he is willing to submit to the testing. There was never any suspicion that Pacquiao had ever taken banned substances until earlier this year, when Floyd Mayweather Sr. suggested he was on steroids.
Pacquiao has passed every urine test he’s been given in connection with boxing matches.
“I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don’t know anyone who really does,” Mayweather said in his statement. “But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same.
“It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA.”
Blood tests for illegal drugs and banned substances are not required by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which would have regulatory control of the bout if it is held in Las Vegas.
In Nevada, a fighter is required to submit to a blood test that screens for HIV and Hepatitis B and C, as well as other blood-borne diseases, as part of the requirement to gain a license.
A license in Nevada is good for one year. In Pacquiao’s case, he received his 2009 license shortly before he fought Ricky Hatton in May. He submitted his blood to the commission between April 5 and April 20, said Keith Kizer, the commission’s executive director.
Kizer said all fighters who fight in Nevada are subject to random urine tests as well as any other medical tests, such as an MRI or a CAT scan, that the commission deems necessary. Arum said Pacquiao is willing to submit to testing by an outside agency but won’t give his blood. Roach said it’s an issue because Mayweather’s side has been insisting Pacquiao give blood as close as 48 hours within the fight.
“We’ll accommodate their requests and do urine testing up the wazoo and we’ll agree to have them done by an outside agency,” Arum said. “Manny has nothing to hide. But he’s not going to give blood because that’s crazy. He’ll do it at the beginning and he’ll do it at the end. That’s how it is done. Ask some former Olympic boxers how many times they give blood.”
Ellerbe said having the testing administered by USADA would quell suspicions about the procedures or the result.
“This is no rooty toot organization,” said Ellerbe, who noted that such testing was accepted by elite athletes such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Phelps and Lance Armstrong.
Roach scoffed at such talk and said it won’t matter to him if the fight is not held.
“I really don’t care, because Manny doesn’t need Floyd Mayweather,” Roach said. “The tests he’s requesting are not commission tests, they’re not boxing tests and this is not an Olympic sport. A urine test is just as qualified as a blood test. [Human growth hormone] is not detected by blood or urine.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency successfully used blood testing at the 2004 Olympics in Athens to test for HGH.
Source: barcelonareporter.com
Negotiations are at an impasse over Pacquiao’s failure to agree to random Olympic-style drug testing, said Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, on Tuesday.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fight strict drug-testing may kill the fight
Nearly every detail is finalized for Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao to fight on March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas but one. That one detail, though, may kill the fight.
Negotiations are at an impasse over Pacquiao’s failure to agree to random Olympic-style drug testing, said Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, on Tuesday.
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said his fighter is willing to comply with strict drug-testing standards, but Roach won’t allow Pacquiao to have blood drawn 48 hours before the fight.
Ellerbe said he would not let Mayweather enter the ring unless Pacquiao agreed to it.
Both sides agreed that the drug testing issue is the only hurdle preventing the fight from being finished. Earlier Tuesday, Golden Boy Promotions officially requested March 13 from the Nevada State Athletic Commission to host the show.
“As Floyd’s management, we are insistent that there be a level playing field,” Ellerbe said. “This is in the best interests of the fighters, the fans and the sport. If you want a level playing field, the best way to do it is to have Olympic-style, random drug testing administered by the premier agency in the world, the [United States Anti-Doping Agency].”
Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said the demand is “absolutely crazy,” done simply to harass Pacquiao, who is squeamish about needles, and is proof that Mayweather doesn’t really want the fight.
Arum said the request has been an unsettled issue since the first day of negotiations last month.
“We’re not going to agree to have Manny give blood in training, because that’s stupid,” Arum said. “Every doctor in the world will tell you that is stupid. He’ll give his blood at the beginning of the year and he’s willing to be urine-tested 24/7, but blood doesn’t show [expletive] and he’s not going to do it.”
Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser and de facto manager, said Pacquiao believes drawing blood so close to a competition harms the body, but the boxer is willing to have his blood drawn a month away from the fight as a compromise.
Koncz said Pacquiao was willing to pass on the fight if it came to that.
“Manny has a lot more options than Mayweather does,” Koncz said. “Manny is clean and he’s never done a thing, and he’s willing to go to great lengths to prove it. It’s my understanding that this stuff doesn’t just leave your system overnight.
“He’ll take a blood test immediately after the fight, if that’s what they insist upon. But Manny believes very strongly that it would be harmful to him to draw blood that soon before the fight and he plain and simple isn’t going to do it.”
In a statement released by his publicist, Mayweather said he is willing to submit to the testing. There was never any suspicion that Pacquiao had ever taken banned substances until earlier this year, when Floyd Mayweather Sr. suggested he was on steroids.
Pacquiao has passed every urine test he’s been given in connection with boxing matches.
“I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don’t know anyone who really does,” Mayweather said in his statement. “But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same.
“It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA.”
Blood tests for illegal drugs and banned substances are not required by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which would have regulatory control of the bout if it is held in Las Vegas.
In Nevada, a fighter is required to submit to a blood test that screens for HIV and Hepatitis B and C, as well as other blood-borne diseases, as part of the requirement to gain a license.
A license in Nevada is good for one year. In Pacquiao’s case, he received his 2009 license shortly before he fought Ricky Hatton in May. He submitted his blood to the commission between April 5 and April 20, said Keith Kizer, the commission’s executive director.
Kizer said all fighters who fight in Nevada are subject to random urine tests as well as any other medical tests, such as an MRI or a CAT scan, that the commission deems necessary. Arum said Pacquiao is willing to submit to testing by an outside agency but won’t give his blood. Roach said it’s an issue because Mayweather’s side has been insisting Pacquiao give blood as close as 48 hours within the fight.
“We’ll accommodate their requests and do urine testing up the wazoo and we’ll agree to have them done by an outside agency,” Arum said. “Manny has nothing to hide. But he’s not going to give blood because that’s crazy. He’ll do it at the beginning and he’ll do it at the end. That’s how it is done. Ask some former Olympic boxers how many times they give blood.”
Ellerbe said having the testing administered by USADA would quell suspicions about the procedures or the result.
“This is no rooty toot organization,” said Ellerbe, who noted that such testing was accepted by elite athletes such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Phelps and Lance Armstrong.
Roach scoffed at such talk and said it won’t matter to him if the fight is not held.
“I really don’t care, because Manny doesn’t need Floyd Mayweather,” Roach said. “The tests he’s requesting are not commission tests, they’re not boxing tests and this is not an Olympic sport. A urine test is just as qualified as a blood test. [Human growth hormone] is not detected by blood or urine.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency successfully used blood testing at the 2004 Olympics in Athens to test for HGH.
Source: barcelonareporter.com
Floyd Mayweather Resorts To Slimy PR Tactics To Imply That Manny Pacquiao Might Be Doping -- FanIQ.com
FanIQ.com
Some of you earlier today probably saw that the Mayweather/Pacquiao superbout may never happen because, as Mayweather's camp told us, Pacquiao is refusing to comply with Olympic-style drug testing as outlined and mandated by the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA).
Oh my god! Pacman must be a doper! How could he refuse Olympic-style drug testing?!
Well, if you actually follow boxing, then you know that Olympic style drug testing - regardless of how it's outlined or mandated - has no authority in boxing. Do you know why? Because boxing has its own drug testing - in this case, the Nevada State Athletic Commission's test. Pacquiao will be tested before the fight, and immediately after it, just like every other boxer ever.
The fact that Mayweather wants Pacquiao to take an additional test that Pacman isn't required to take at all and will have no official recognition by anyone - least of all the Nevada State Athletic Commission - is just a charade. Mayweather wants you to think Pacquiao is doping.
And why does Mayweather want you to think Pacquiao is doping? Because Mayweather doesn't want to fight Pacquiao. He knows he's going to get his butt kicked. And even if the fight somehow still happens, and Mayweather loses, he can accuse Pacman of doping.
That's all this is everyone. It's just a PR stunt by Mayweather to make you think Pacman's a doper, when that's an absurd proclamation. Pacman has never failed any drug test, and he's going to be drug tested before this fight and after it just like he always has been.
The real jackass in this whole affair is the cowardly Mayweather. He's just looking for another excuse to get out of this fight, even if he has to create it himself and drag Pacquiao through the mud. What an asshole.
Source: faniq.com
Some of you earlier today probably saw that the Mayweather/Pacquiao superbout may never happen because, as Mayweather's camp told us, Pacquiao is refusing to comply with Olympic-style drug testing as outlined and mandated by the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA).
Oh my god! Pacman must be a doper! How could he refuse Olympic-style drug testing?!
Well, if you actually follow boxing, then you know that Olympic style drug testing - regardless of how it's outlined or mandated - has no authority in boxing. Do you know why? Because boxing has its own drug testing - in this case, the Nevada State Athletic Commission's test. Pacquiao will be tested before the fight, and immediately after it, just like every other boxer ever.
The fact that Mayweather wants Pacquiao to take an additional test that Pacman isn't required to take at all and will have no official recognition by anyone - least of all the Nevada State Athletic Commission - is just a charade. Mayweather wants you to think Pacquiao is doping.
And why does Mayweather want you to think Pacquiao is doping? Because Mayweather doesn't want to fight Pacquiao. He knows he's going to get his butt kicked. And even if the fight somehow still happens, and Mayweather loses, he can accuse Pacman of doping.
That's all this is everyone. It's just a PR stunt by Mayweather to make you think Pacman's a doper, when that's an absurd proclamation. Pacman has never failed any drug test, and he's going to be drug tested before this fight and after it just like he always has been.
The real jackass in this whole affair is the cowardly Mayweather. He's just looking for another excuse to get out of this fight, even if he has to create it himself and drag Pacquiao through the mud. What an asshole.
Source: faniq.com
Bob Arum to Floyd Mayweather: 'Stop Being a Coward' -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum has a message for Floyd Mayweather: "Stop the crap, stop being a coward, and get into the ring and fight like a man."
Arum made his statements in reaction to a press release on Tuesday during which Golden Boy Promotions' Richard Schaefer, negotiating on behalf of Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts), indicated that his March 13 megabout with Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) might be in jeopardy.
Pacquiao "is refusing to comply with Olympic style drug testing as outlined and mandated by the United States Anti-Doping Agency [USADA,]" according to the release. "As requested by Mayweather's management to ensure fair play and sportsmanship by both fighters."
The USADA's random sampling method would mean taking blood and urine samples randomly.
Arum said the 31-year-old Pacquiao has no problem with boxing's standard procedure of urinalysis, but that he does take issue with randomly testing his blood.
"Manny says that taking blood from him really weakens him. And he doesn't want to do it when he's in training, but he'll do it prior to going into training, and after the fight," said Arum, who is not willing to allow Pacquiao to have blood drawn within 30 days of the fight.
"Every major doctor will tell you that blood testing shows absolutely nothing. Everybody is using sophisticated urine analysis to test now," said Arum "Mayweather knows Manny's phobia for giving blood, and he's using that to get out of the fight. Too bad."
Mayweather-Pacquiao is slated for the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, whose Nevada State Athletic Commission licenses fighters for a year.
While the NSAC does not require blood testing for illegal drugs, it does test urine, and it does require blood testing for AIDS and other blood-related diseases.
"Now they want to bring in another agency, the [United States Anti-Doping Agency.] When in professional boxing has this ever been done?", said Arum. "To bring in another agency to drug test when you have the Nevada Commission is a slap in the face to the commission in Nevada."
Nevada commission testing cleared Pacquiao to fight this year in Las Vegas prior to stopping Ricky Hatton in the second round in May, and, before his 12th-round knockout of Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14.
"Now that the fight was going to Nevada, it's the best athletic commission in the world. They do drug-testing, and that's been the case for the last 40 years. Now, Mayweather, being a wise guy, says that that's not sufficient, and he wants other drug-testing," said Arum.
"Now, Manny says, 'that's fine, I'll do a random urinalysis any time anybody wants. Doesn't matter. And Manny says, 'I'll do a blood test prior to the first press conference and a drug test after the fight,'" said Arum. "But Mayweather, who really is trying to get out of the fight, says, 'No, I want blood testing any time during training, and, up to, and including, and, past the weigh-in.'"
Mayweather's adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, told FanHouse, "It's our understanding that the [United States Anti-Doping Agency] will not be drawing blood 24 hours before the fight, so there shouldn't be a problem."
In a statement released by his publicists, Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) justified his stance on the random blood testing.
"I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does. But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level," said Mayweather.
"I have already agreed to the testing, and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night," said Mayweather. "I hope that this is either some mis-communication or that Manny will change his mind, and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."
"I have more than 800 guys who are special athletes who are all drug-tested. And the urine testing is sufficient that you won't miss anything, especially with performance-enhancing drugs," said Dr. Keith Pyne, a New York-based physician and private injury consultant for NFL athletes and those who participate in running and combat sports.
"The urine testing is more than sufficient for boxing. If you're using steroids, it's going to come up for sure in urine," said Pyne. "There's no way it's going to get through the liver and the kidney without being detected."
Asked if the fight still was going to happen, Arum said, "I don't know."
"I wanted to tell them to screw it and to go take a walk. [Pacquiao's trainer] Freddie Roach isn't going to let Manny be compromised, and I'm not going to let Manny be compromised, and Manny is not going to let himself be compromised. So this is nonsense," said Arum.
"But we're willing to do full urinalysis with an independent agency, and we're willing to do blood testing before he goes into training and after the fight," said Arum. "Nothing [drugs] can possibly done in the interim period that wouldn't be detected and shown by urinalysis."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum has a message for Floyd Mayweather: "Stop the crap, stop being a coward, and get into the ring and fight like a man."
Arum made his statements in reaction to a press release on Tuesday during which Golden Boy Promotions' Richard Schaefer, negotiating on behalf of Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts), indicated that his March 13 megabout with Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) might be in jeopardy.
Pacquiao "is refusing to comply with Olympic style drug testing as outlined and mandated by the United States Anti-Doping Agency [USADA,]" according to the release. "As requested by Mayweather's management to ensure fair play and sportsmanship by both fighters."
The USADA's random sampling method would mean taking blood and urine samples randomly.
Arum said the 31-year-old Pacquiao has no problem with boxing's standard procedure of urinalysis, but that he does take issue with randomly testing his blood.
"Manny says that taking blood from him really weakens him. And he doesn't want to do it when he's in training, but he'll do it prior to going into training, and after the fight," said Arum, who is not willing to allow Pacquiao to have blood drawn within 30 days of the fight.
"Every major doctor will tell you that blood testing shows absolutely nothing. Everybody is using sophisticated urine analysis to test now," said Arum "Mayweather knows Manny's phobia for giving blood, and he's using that to get out of the fight. Too bad."
Mayweather-Pacquiao is slated for the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, whose Nevada State Athletic Commission licenses fighters for a year.
While the NSAC does not require blood testing for illegal drugs, it does test urine, and it does require blood testing for AIDS and other blood-related diseases.
"Now they want to bring in another agency, the [United States Anti-Doping Agency.] When in professional boxing has this ever been done?", said Arum. "To bring in another agency to drug test when you have the Nevada Commission is a slap in the face to the commission in Nevada."
Nevada commission testing cleared Pacquiao to fight this year in Las Vegas prior to stopping Ricky Hatton in the second round in May, and, before his 12th-round knockout of Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14.
"Now that the fight was going to Nevada, it's the best athletic commission in the world. They do drug-testing, and that's been the case for the last 40 years. Now, Mayweather, being a wise guy, says that that's not sufficient, and he wants other drug-testing," said Arum.
"Now, Manny says, 'that's fine, I'll do a random urinalysis any time anybody wants. Doesn't matter. And Manny says, 'I'll do a blood test prior to the first press conference and a drug test after the fight,'" said Arum. "But Mayweather, who really is trying to get out of the fight, says, 'No, I want blood testing any time during training, and, up to, and including, and, past the weigh-in.'"
Mayweather's adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, told FanHouse, "It's our understanding that the [United States Anti-Doping Agency] will not be drawing blood 24 hours before the fight, so there shouldn't be a problem."
In a statement released by his publicists, Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) justified his stance on the random blood testing.
"I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does. But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level," said Mayweather.
"I have already agreed to the testing, and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night," said Mayweather. "I hope that this is either some mis-communication or that Manny will change his mind, and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."
"I have more than 800 guys who are special athletes who are all drug-tested. And the urine testing is sufficient that you won't miss anything, especially with performance-enhancing drugs," said Dr. Keith Pyne, a New York-based physician and private injury consultant for NFL athletes and those who participate in running and combat sports.
"The urine testing is more than sufficient for boxing. If you're using steroids, it's going to come up for sure in urine," said Pyne. "There's no way it's going to get through the liver and the kidney without being detected."
Asked if the fight still was going to happen, Arum said, "I don't know."
"I wanted to tell them to screw it and to go take a walk. [Pacquiao's trainer] Freddie Roach isn't going to let Manny be compromised, and I'm not going to let Manny be compromised, and Manny is not going to let himself be compromised. So this is nonsense," said Arum.
"But we're willing to do full urinalysis with an independent agency, and we're willing to do blood testing before he goes into training and after the fight," said Arum. "Nothing [drugs] can possibly done in the interim period that wouldn't be detected and shown by urinalysis."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
LET THE MIND GAMES BEGIN! -- PhilBoxing.com
By Ed de la Vega, PhilBoxing.com
To borrow the famous quote, “Only in America”, I say: “Only in boxing” where mind games get center attention so much so that they may even lead to cancellation of a fight.
Case in point:- The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight that is supposed to happen on March 13th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Team Mayweather started it all.
The mind games comes in form of several demands . Some are within reason, but one in particular is just so mind-boggling that there is just one word to aptly describe it.
Out-of-this-world!
Team Mayweather is demanding “Olympic-style drug testing” insinuating that Pacquiao is on something that needs to be tested.
That has never been done in professional boxing!
Why create a precedence for a sport that until lately has been struggling for survival?
With the Team Mayweather insisting so strongly, surely there must be a covert reason they can use to their advantage.
The Mayweathers know that Pacquiao is very superstitious and would never agree to random blood testing all through the whole training period. They know it because Freddie Roach stated it so. And, Pacquiao himself has demonstrated such beliefs in the past like not wanting to fly to Vegas from LA where he trains and refusing to stay at a different hotel other than the room he always stayed at the Mandalay Bay during fight week.
Roach said Pacquiao will never agree to random testing. But, he would gladly submit to it at the initial press conference to announce the fight sometime early January. And, he has no objection about doing it again right after the fight.
So what’s wrong with that?
A blood test during the initial press conference is reasonable enough particularly for a fellow like Pacquiao who passed all the testing conducted by the State of Nevada. Admittedly, they are only urine tests. But, they are reliable and should be enough.
Probably Team Mayweather is hoping that Pacquiao would not agree to the random testing.
Then they can go out there and say all the things they are saying before. That is, Pacquiao is on something and is scared to be caught by the random testing. (In fact, latest reports did indicate that Pacquiao is refusing the random testing.)
But, in all probability that is just a smoke screen.
The Mayweathers will “reluctantly agree” not to have the random testing and look good before everybody particularly in the eyes of the fans and the media. And, Pacquiao will certainly look bad.
Score one for psychological advantage in favor of Junior.
But, there is something else. The ulterior motive, remember?
Not having random testing opens the door for everybody to use drugs, Junior included.
And, it would not be a surprise if he does because he simply would not be outdone by Pacquiao.
And, with Junior running scared, I am sure he will do everything to keep the “playing field equal” no matter the consequences.
If he believes that Pacquiao is on drugs, he too will take them on the mistaken belief that it will equalize things.
And, if Pacquiao is not on drugs as he claims, them Junior will have all the advantage due to the drugs.
A smart move by Team Mayweather? I don’t think so.
Exposed? No doubt about it!
Source: philboxing.com
To borrow the famous quote, “Only in America”, I say: “Only in boxing” where mind games get center attention so much so that they may even lead to cancellation of a fight.
Case in point:- The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight that is supposed to happen on March 13th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Team Mayweather started it all.
The mind games comes in form of several demands . Some are within reason, but one in particular is just so mind-boggling that there is just one word to aptly describe it.
Out-of-this-world!
Team Mayweather is demanding “Olympic-style drug testing” insinuating that Pacquiao is on something that needs to be tested.
That has never been done in professional boxing!
Why create a precedence for a sport that until lately has been struggling for survival?
With the Team Mayweather insisting so strongly, surely there must be a covert reason they can use to their advantage.
The Mayweathers know that Pacquiao is very superstitious and would never agree to random blood testing all through the whole training period. They know it because Freddie Roach stated it so. And, Pacquiao himself has demonstrated such beliefs in the past like not wanting to fly to Vegas from LA where he trains and refusing to stay at a different hotel other than the room he always stayed at the Mandalay Bay during fight week.
Roach said Pacquiao will never agree to random testing. But, he would gladly submit to it at the initial press conference to announce the fight sometime early January. And, he has no objection about doing it again right after the fight.
So what’s wrong with that?
A blood test during the initial press conference is reasonable enough particularly for a fellow like Pacquiao who passed all the testing conducted by the State of Nevada. Admittedly, they are only urine tests. But, they are reliable and should be enough.
Probably Team Mayweather is hoping that Pacquiao would not agree to the random testing.
Then they can go out there and say all the things they are saying before. That is, Pacquiao is on something and is scared to be caught by the random testing. (In fact, latest reports did indicate that Pacquiao is refusing the random testing.)
But, in all probability that is just a smoke screen.
The Mayweathers will “reluctantly agree” not to have the random testing and look good before everybody particularly in the eyes of the fans and the media. And, Pacquiao will certainly look bad.
Score one for psychological advantage in favor of Junior.
But, there is something else. The ulterior motive, remember?
Not having random testing opens the door for everybody to use drugs, Junior included.
And, it would not be a surprise if he does because he simply would not be outdone by Pacquiao.
And, with Junior running scared, I am sure he will do everything to keep the “playing field equal” no matter the consequences.
If he believes that Pacquiao is on drugs, he too will take them on the mistaken belief that it will equalize things.
And, if Pacquiao is not on drugs as he claims, them Junior will have all the advantage due to the drugs.
A smart move by Team Mayweather? I don’t think so.
Exposed? No doubt about it!
Source: philboxing.com
Pacquiao, Not Johnson, Is Athlete of Year -- FanHouse
By Kevin Blackistone, FanHouse
The following is not a denunciation of Associated Press handing its 2009 Male Athlete of the Year Award to Jimmie Johnson, the NASCAR champion. He had another outstanding season. And I don't doubt that hanging onto the steering wheel of a 3,400-pound car threatening to spin out of control at 180 mph over three to four hours is an athletic feat. Playing golf it ain't.
But there was a more outrageous athletic accomplishment over the past 12 months than what Johnson pulled off. No one can debate its physical demands, either.
As Kanye West would say: "Yo Jimmie, I'm really happy for you. I'ma let you finish, but Manny had one of the best years of all time!"
That would be Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, all 5-foot-6 and 140-something pounds. Last December he forced a future (though aged) Hall of Famer, Oscar De La Hoya, into surrender and retirement sitting in the corner on his stool. He followed that outing with a frightening second-round knockout in May of lightweight champion Ricky Hatton (who as a result hasn't fought since). And last month he reduced a bigger champion, Miguel Cotto, to such a bloodied and battered mess that mercy ensued as the referee stopped it.
Pacquiao collected two more belts along the way, or one more title than Johnson picked up.
But Pacquiao's near unprecedented romp through three of boxing's best in a row is not the main reason some august institution that hands out an athlete of the year award should bestow their 2009 title upon him. Instead, it is mostly because of what Pacquiao's fireworks of fisticuffs did for a sport most people have pronounced dead or on life support.
Pacquiao over the past year singlehandedly -- or with both hands in his furious style -- revived more than niche interest in what during most of the last century was as much as a national pastime, if not international, as any sport. I mean, I was at a holiday party the other night where the first conversation that broke out was about Tiger tales and the next was about boxing, specifically Pacquiao's upcoming fight with Floyd Mayweather. The last time the latter happened was after Evander Holyfield turned the other cheek to Mike Tyson and Tyson took a bite out of it too.
Pacquiao is the reason Mayweather stands to make a record $25 million from meeting Pacquiao next March in what is shaping up as the richest bout in history. Mayweather won't cash in just because he's nicknamed himself "Money."
It's not a done deal yet. Mega boxing matches never are until the combatants are in the ring. There is much handwringing going on and to be done.
They haven't decided on a venue. Vegas is bidding with the MGM Grand casino backing it. Jerry Jones is trying to bring it to his billion-dollar Cowboys Stadium that could accommodate more than 100,000. I'd prefer Vegas, the capital of the fight game. But after visiting Jerry's world earlier this month, I can see him selling most of the seats at a pay-per-view price and allowing fans to watch the game on his humongous TV screen while being able to brag that they were at the big fight as well.
There is still a chance the bout could get pushed to May, which in my mind is better than March. March is for college basketball, but this card is so big it can compete.
And in the last few hours it's been reported that negotiations snared over Mayweather's demands that Pacquiao submit to Olympic-style drug testing. Pacquiao is said to have refused. He can afford to.
After all, Mayweather didn't hold up Pacquiao for a bigger cut of the purse. He agreed to a split; Pacquiao is to get $25 million too because his bargaining position, despite being a foreigner, is stronger. Pacquiao isn't just an American household boxing name like Mayweather; he's a worldwide boxing name.
Check this out: On the Time magazine list of 25 people it whittled down to Person of the Year was Pacquiao at No. 13. He was just ahead of Sarah Palin and just behind Barack Obama. President Obama! Tiger barely made the list at No. 23.
I'm not certain Pacquiao should be so close to the president or in front of Tiger. As the past few weeks proved, Tiger is a person well-known and followed in every corner. (I'm glad I heeded the advice of a mentor and have abstained from voting for individual athletic awards and Hall of Fame candidates. It is much more enjoyable pointing out oversights than making them.)
But this is what Time observed of Pacquiao's candidacy
Manny Pacquiao was considered a savior by two groups of people this year: Filipinos and boxing aficionados. For his countrymen, the diminutive pugilist once again proved that their archipelago could produce more than tales of violence, poverty and natural disaster -- that there was some undefined quality that could produce a fighter of such speed, resiliency and charisma as to be a living legend. For boxing fans, Pacquiao defied physics, rising through six weight classes to win seven world titles -- and galvanizing the sport like no other boxer in years. His two bouts this year were among the most dramatic in the sport ... His visceral charm -- or his bloody attraction -- will continue into next year with his expected multimillion-dollar, hugely lucrative matchup against Floyd Mayweather Jr., the only fighter remaining who can claim to be his equal.Time even put Pacquiao on the cover of its Asia edition last month before his bout with Cotto. Time last put a boxer on its cover 20 years ago. He was Tyson.
I'm not going to say Pacquiao is a transcendent figure like President Obama, despite his political aspirations, or even a transcendent athlete like Tiger, Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong or Muhammad Ali. But there isn't an athlete right now, LeBron James included, who has stirred so many people, especially those who otherwise wouldn't be interested in the athlete's particular sport.
Jimmie Johnson could chauffeur Pacquiao but he doesn't leave him at the curb.
Source: kevin-blackistone.fanhouse.com
The following is not a denunciation of Associated Press handing its 2009 Male Athlete of the Year Award to Jimmie Johnson, the NASCAR champion. He had another outstanding season. And I don't doubt that hanging onto the steering wheel of a 3,400-pound car threatening to spin out of control at 180 mph over three to four hours is an athletic feat. Playing golf it ain't.
But there was a more outrageous athletic accomplishment over the past 12 months than what Johnson pulled off. No one can debate its physical demands, either.
As Kanye West would say: "Yo Jimmie, I'm really happy for you. I'ma let you finish, but Manny had one of the best years of all time!"
That would be Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, all 5-foot-6 and 140-something pounds. Last December he forced a future (though aged) Hall of Famer, Oscar De La Hoya, into surrender and retirement sitting in the corner on his stool. He followed that outing with a frightening second-round knockout in May of lightweight champion Ricky Hatton (who as a result hasn't fought since). And last month he reduced a bigger champion, Miguel Cotto, to such a bloodied and battered mess that mercy ensued as the referee stopped it.
Pacquiao collected two more belts along the way, or one more title than Johnson picked up.
But Pacquiao's near unprecedented romp through three of boxing's best in a row is not the main reason some august institution that hands out an athlete of the year award should bestow their 2009 title upon him. Instead, it is mostly because of what Pacquiao's fireworks of fisticuffs did for a sport most people have pronounced dead or on life support.
Pacquiao over the past year singlehandedly -- or with both hands in his furious style -- revived more than niche interest in what during most of the last century was as much as a national pastime, if not international, as any sport. I mean, I was at a holiday party the other night where the first conversation that broke out was about Tiger tales and the next was about boxing, specifically Pacquiao's upcoming fight with Floyd Mayweather. The last time the latter happened was after Evander Holyfield turned the other cheek to Mike Tyson and Tyson took a bite out of it too.
Pacquiao is the reason Mayweather stands to make a record $25 million from meeting Pacquiao next March in what is shaping up as the richest bout in history. Mayweather won't cash in just because he's nicknamed himself "Money."
It's not a done deal yet. Mega boxing matches never are until the combatants are in the ring. There is much handwringing going on and to be done.
They haven't decided on a venue. Vegas is bidding with the MGM Grand casino backing it. Jerry Jones is trying to bring it to his billion-dollar Cowboys Stadium that could accommodate more than 100,000. I'd prefer Vegas, the capital of the fight game. But after visiting Jerry's world earlier this month, I can see him selling most of the seats at a pay-per-view price and allowing fans to watch the game on his humongous TV screen while being able to brag that they were at the big fight as well.
There is still a chance the bout could get pushed to May, which in my mind is better than March. March is for college basketball, but this card is so big it can compete.
And in the last few hours it's been reported that negotiations snared over Mayweather's demands that Pacquiao submit to Olympic-style drug testing. Pacquiao is said to have refused. He can afford to.
After all, Mayweather didn't hold up Pacquiao for a bigger cut of the purse. He agreed to a split; Pacquiao is to get $25 million too because his bargaining position, despite being a foreigner, is stronger. Pacquiao isn't just an American household boxing name like Mayweather; he's a worldwide boxing name.
Check this out: On the Time magazine list of 25 people it whittled down to Person of the Year was Pacquiao at No. 13. He was just ahead of Sarah Palin and just behind Barack Obama. President Obama! Tiger barely made the list at No. 23.
I'm not certain Pacquiao should be so close to the president or in front of Tiger. As the past few weeks proved, Tiger is a person well-known and followed in every corner. (I'm glad I heeded the advice of a mentor and have abstained from voting for individual athletic awards and Hall of Fame candidates. It is much more enjoyable pointing out oversights than making them.)
But this is what Time observed of Pacquiao's candidacy
Manny Pacquiao was considered a savior by two groups of people this year: Filipinos and boxing aficionados. For his countrymen, the diminutive pugilist once again proved that their archipelago could produce more than tales of violence, poverty and natural disaster -- that there was some undefined quality that could produce a fighter of such speed, resiliency and charisma as to be a living legend. For boxing fans, Pacquiao defied physics, rising through six weight classes to win seven world titles -- and galvanizing the sport like no other boxer in years. His two bouts this year were among the most dramatic in the sport ... His visceral charm -- or his bloody attraction -- will continue into next year with his expected multimillion-dollar, hugely lucrative matchup against Floyd Mayweather Jr., the only fighter remaining who can claim to be his equal.Time even put Pacquiao on the cover of its Asia edition last month before his bout with Cotto. Time last put a boxer on its cover 20 years ago. He was Tyson.
I'm not going to say Pacquiao is a transcendent figure like President Obama, despite his political aspirations, or even a transcendent athlete like Tiger, Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong or Muhammad Ali. But there isn't an athlete right now, LeBron James included, who has stirred so many people, especially those who otherwise wouldn't be interested in the athlete's particular sport.
Jimmie Johnson could chauffeur Pacquiao but he doesn't leave him at the curb.
Source: kevin-blackistone.fanhouse.com
Pacquiao's promoter: 2010 'fight is off' with Mayweather -- USA Today
By J. Michael Falgoust, USA TODAY
The biggest fight of 2010 — Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather — could be off.
Early Tuesday evening, Golden Boy Promotions, which represented Mayweather in negotiations, distributed a press release that said the March 13 bout was in "jeopardy."
Reached late Tuesday night, Bob Arum of Top Rank, which promotes the Filipino, took it a step further.
"The plug is pulled. The fight is off as far as we're concerned," he said, adding that he expects Pacquiao to fight on that date and is seeking a new opponent.
Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) has demanded drug testing as required by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency which includes random blood and urine sampling. Pacquiao (50-3-2 38 KOs), however, will not agree to have his blood taken within 30 days of the bout. He did agree to have his blood taken before the press conference to kick off the promotion and after the bout.
"The press release is absurd," said Arum, Mayweather's former promoter. "Mayweather proves that he's a coward and he's looking for a way out of the fight. The Nevada commission has been doing drug testing for the last 40 years. To appease Mayweather, we agreed they could do urine analysis anytime they wanted. But Manny doesn't want them to draw his blood when he's in training because it weakens him."
Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said earlier Tuesday that Top Rank president Todd duBoef told him Pacquiao would not agree to have his blood taken within 30 days of the bout.
"Todd told me that Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn't want to do it so close to the fight," Schaefer said in the statement. "(Pacquiao) would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight."
Mayweather said Pacquiao needs to explain himself immediately or face questions regarding his status as a clean, drug-free athlete.
"I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does," Mayweather said. "But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same.
"It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."
Las Vegas was expected to host the bout and construct an outdoor venue to accommodate what likely would be the highest grossing fight of all time. Both Mayweather and Pacquiao stand to make at least $25 million for the fight.
"All they're doing is harassing Pacquiao. I'm not going to allow it to happen," Arum said. "We're willing to do urine analysis at random even though we don't have to do it under Nevada rules. … I know deep down Mayweather doesn't want the fight. He can take a walk."
In 2002, the Nevada State Athletic Commission found that Fernando Vargas tested positive for performance-enhancing substances in his bout with Oscar De La Hoya.
Source: usatoday.com
The biggest fight of 2010 — Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather — could be off.
Early Tuesday evening, Golden Boy Promotions, which represented Mayweather in negotiations, distributed a press release that said the March 13 bout was in "jeopardy."
Reached late Tuesday night, Bob Arum of Top Rank, which promotes the Filipino, took it a step further.
"The plug is pulled. The fight is off as far as we're concerned," he said, adding that he expects Pacquiao to fight on that date and is seeking a new opponent.
Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) has demanded drug testing as required by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency which includes random blood and urine sampling. Pacquiao (50-3-2 38 KOs), however, will not agree to have his blood taken within 30 days of the bout. He did agree to have his blood taken before the press conference to kick off the promotion and after the bout.
"The press release is absurd," said Arum, Mayweather's former promoter. "Mayweather proves that he's a coward and he's looking for a way out of the fight. The Nevada commission has been doing drug testing for the last 40 years. To appease Mayweather, we agreed they could do urine analysis anytime they wanted. But Manny doesn't want them to draw his blood when he's in training because it weakens him."
Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said earlier Tuesday that Top Rank president Todd duBoef told him Pacquiao would not agree to have his blood taken within 30 days of the bout.
"Todd told me that Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn't want to do it so close to the fight," Schaefer said in the statement. "(Pacquiao) would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight."
Mayweather said Pacquiao needs to explain himself immediately or face questions regarding his status as a clean, drug-free athlete.
"I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does," Mayweather said. "But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same.
"It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."
Las Vegas was expected to host the bout and construct an outdoor venue to accommodate what likely would be the highest grossing fight of all time. Both Mayweather and Pacquiao stand to make at least $25 million for the fight.
"All they're doing is harassing Pacquiao. I'm not going to allow it to happen," Arum said. "We're willing to do urine analysis at random even though we don't have to do it under Nevada rules. … I know deep down Mayweather doesn't want the fight. He can take a walk."
In 2002, the Nevada State Athletic Commission found that Fernando Vargas tested positive for performance-enhancing substances in his bout with Oscar De La Hoya.
Source: usatoday.com
Mayweather blasts Pacquiao for refusing blood tests -- ABS-CBN News
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines – The “almost finalized” negotiations for the super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. hit a snag because of an alleged disagreement on the type of drug testing that should be done.
Pacquiao reportedly refused to undergo Olympic-style drug testing, which involves random blood and urine tests.
“I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don’t know anyone who really does,” Mayweather said in a statement, according to a Yahoo Sports report.
“But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same,” said the undefeated American fighter with a 40-0 (with 25 knockouts) record.
Pacquiao, who has never failed a drug test, purportedly does not want to have his blood taken before the fight scheduled on March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests,” commented Mayweather.
Mayweather’s father, Floyd Sr., alleged that Pacquiao (50-3-2, with 38 KOs) was taking performance-enhancing drugs, a claim that Pacquiao and his team vehemently denied.
‘Crazy demand’
Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, called Mayweather’s demand as “absolutely crazy.”
“Manny has nothing to hide. But he’s not going to give blood because that’s crazy. He’ll do it at the beginning and he’ll do it at the end. That’s how it is done. Ask some former Olympic boxers how many times they give blood,” noted the Top Rank Promotions big boss.
The Yahoo Sports report added that Pacquiao is “squeamish about needles.”
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com, “[Top Rank President] Todd [duBoef] told me that Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn't want to do it so close to the fight.”
Schaefer, who is representing Mayweather, added: “He, Pacquiao, would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight.”
The Filipino boxing icon’s trainer, meantime, maintained that a urine test will suffice.
“The tests he’s requesting are not commission tests, they’re not boxing tests and this is not an Olympic sport. A urine test is just as qualified as a blood test. [Human growth hormone] is not detected by blood or urine,” said Roach.
The American trainer earlier told The Philippine Star that he will allow his ward to undergo the same drug testing that Mayweather will go through. “But no blood tests close to the fight. They can take urine tests.”
Level playing field
Mayweather’s camp, on the other hand, urged Pacquiao to agree to the blood testing procedure.
“We hope that Manny will do the right thing and agree to the testing as it is an egregious act to deny the testing and hence, deny the millions of fans the right to see this amazing fight. We just want to make sure there is a level playing field in a sport that is a man-to-man contest that relies on strength and ability,” stated Mayweather’s adviser, Leonard Ellerbe.
“I still hope this decision is coming from someone in Pacquiao's camp and not Manny himself as it would be a shame that an athlete of his stature and who represents his whole country would not be able to show the public or his fellow athletes that he agrees to the highest standards in sports competition,” he added.
Schaefer also hoped that Pacquiao will clear the issue and finally agree to undergo drug tests.
The Golden Boy CEO said: “Team Mayweather is very surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes. Why would Pacquiao refuse to have the same kind of testing that Lance Armstrong, Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have had?”
Extra pounds penalty
Schaefer also lamented that the drug testing issue is the only thing that is holding back the Pacquiao-Mayweather bout.
“We have agreed on everything except for this drug testing issue. I have to think Pacquiao is unaware of this. The drug testing had been part of the contract for a while and then they suddenly said no. I was informed of that [Tuesday] morning. Suddenly they changed course and I don't know why,” he told ESPN.com.
Schaefer then revealed that both camps have agreed on imposing a penalty if the fighters exceed the limit of 147 lbs.
“We agreed to $10 million per pound, or fraction thereof… That's what the Pacquiao side wanted and we said OK to that. That's unheard of.”
Mayweather came in at 146 lbs., which is beyond the 144 lbs. limit for his bout against Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19. The American, who won via unanimous decision, paid a penalty worth $600,000.
Pacquiao is also coming off a victory last November 14 after edging Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto by technical knockout in the 12th round. – With reports from Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports, Abac Cordero of The Philippine Star, and Dan Rafael of ESPN.com
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
MANILA, Philippines – The “almost finalized” negotiations for the super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. hit a snag because of an alleged disagreement on the type of drug testing that should be done.
Pacquiao reportedly refused to undergo Olympic-style drug testing, which involves random blood and urine tests.
“I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don’t know anyone who really does,” Mayweather said in a statement, according to a Yahoo Sports report.
“But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same,” said the undefeated American fighter with a 40-0 (with 25 knockouts) record.
Pacquiao, who has never failed a drug test, purportedly does not want to have his blood taken before the fight scheduled on March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests,” commented Mayweather.
Mayweather’s father, Floyd Sr., alleged that Pacquiao (50-3-2, with 38 KOs) was taking performance-enhancing drugs, a claim that Pacquiao and his team vehemently denied.
‘Crazy demand’
Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, called Mayweather’s demand as “absolutely crazy.”
“Manny has nothing to hide. But he’s not going to give blood because that’s crazy. He’ll do it at the beginning and he’ll do it at the end. That’s how it is done. Ask some former Olympic boxers how many times they give blood,” noted the Top Rank Promotions big boss.
The Yahoo Sports report added that Pacquiao is “squeamish about needles.”
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com, “[Top Rank President] Todd [duBoef] told me that Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn't want to do it so close to the fight.”
Schaefer, who is representing Mayweather, added: “He, Pacquiao, would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight.”
The Filipino boxing icon’s trainer, meantime, maintained that a urine test will suffice.
“The tests he’s requesting are not commission tests, they’re not boxing tests and this is not an Olympic sport. A urine test is just as qualified as a blood test. [Human growth hormone] is not detected by blood or urine,” said Roach.
The American trainer earlier told The Philippine Star that he will allow his ward to undergo the same drug testing that Mayweather will go through. “But no blood tests close to the fight. They can take urine tests.”
Level playing field
Mayweather’s camp, on the other hand, urged Pacquiao to agree to the blood testing procedure.
“We hope that Manny will do the right thing and agree to the testing as it is an egregious act to deny the testing and hence, deny the millions of fans the right to see this amazing fight. We just want to make sure there is a level playing field in a sport that is a man-to-man contest that relies on strength and ability,” stated Mayweather’s adviser, Leonard Ellerbe.
“I still hope this decision is coming from someone in Pacquiao's camp and not Manny himself as it would be a shame that an athlete of his stature and who represents his whole country would not be able to show the public or his fellow athletes that he agrees to the highest standards in sports competition,” he added.
Schaefer also hoped that Pacquiao will clear the issue and finally agree to undergo drug tests.
The Golden Boy CEO said: “Team Mayweather is very surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes. Why would Pacquiao refuse to have the same kind of testing that Lance Armstrong, Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have had?”
Extra pounds penalty
Schaefer also lamented that the drug testing issue is the only thing that is holding back the Pacquiao-Mayweather bout.
“We have agreed on everything except for this drug testing issue. I have to think Pacquiao is unaware of this. The drug testing had been part of the contract for a while and then they suddenly said no. I was informed of that [Tuesday] morning. Suddenly they changed course and I don't know why,” he told ESPN.com.
Schaefer then revealed that both camps have agreed on imposing a penalty if the fighters exceed the limit of 147 lbs.
“We agreed to $10 million per pound, or fraction thereof… That's what the Pacquiao side wanted and we said OK to that. That's unheard of.”
Mayweather came in at 146 lbs., which is beyond the 144 lbs. limit for his bout against Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19. The American, who won via unanimous decision, paid a penalty worth $600,000.
Pacquiao is also coming off a victory last November 14 after edging Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto by technical knockout in the 12th round. – With reports from Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports, Abac Cordero of The Philippine Star, and Dan Rafael of ESPN.com
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
A Bloody Mess -- SecondsOut.com
By Steve Kim, SecondsOut.com
Quite the uproar was caused when Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions put out a press release on Tuesday afternoon which basically stated this since Manny Pacquiao did not want to adhere to Olympic-style drug testing, that the March 13Th fight against Floyd Mayweather was in jeopardy. A link to the press release is down below:
http://www.maxboxing.com/news/promo-lead/mayweather-vs-pacquiao-in-jeopardy
What had started out as a surprisingly easy and amicable negotiation, has now turned a bit ugly and vitriolic (which isn’t a surprise).
"We’re willing to do all kinds of urine analysis. We’re willing to do blood testing before the last press conference and after the fight," Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, told Maxboxing on early Tuesday evening."We’re not willing to do blood testing while he’s in training because he claims it weakens him. And one major doctor we talked to says that blood testing is absolutely, totally irrelevant. Totally irrelevant. We’re willing to do random urinalysis at any time."
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach says,"The thing is, I talked to the drug testing people today and I said,’Can you guarantee me that Manny wont have to give blood the day before the fight?’ They said no. I said,’Then we can’t do the test.’" He added later,"We go by the commission rules, the sanctioning body rules. Mayweather doesn’t make the rules, we don’t work for Mayweather. He needs us, we don’t need him."
When Arum was asked if he felt that Mayweather was playing mind games, Arum, blurted out:" OF COURSE THEY ARE!!! OF COURSE THEY ARE!!! And they can go screw themselves! I don’t care if this fight doesn’t happen."
A short time ago, Arum had displaced himself from the negotiations and put his step-son, Todd duBoef, in charge of negotiating this fight."Look, Todd started appeasing them by agreeing to do this, to do that, and I would’ve said,’Screw it,’ I wouldn’t have agreed to anything."
So in his opinion, will Pacquiao-Mayweather take place on March 13th?
"No," was Arum’s answer."Because Manny is not going to be subjected to blood-testing while he’s in training and they’re going to insist on it because they never really wanted to do the fight." Arum admitted that he had already begun the process of finding Pacquiao’s next fight."Absolutely, but I don’t want to discuss it till I talk to Manny."
But Roach has a different take.
"Where else is he( Mayweather) going to go get the kind of money that he wants?. I think it’ll happen."
Then again, the same question could be posed to ’the Pac Man’.
But the question has to be asked, are they balking at this stipulation because they have something to hide?
"Well, we’ve passed every drug test that we’ve ever had for every fight. We tested every time. So there’s no history in that. Manny Pacquiao, I mean, I have trouble giving him protein shakes and and vitamins," stated Roach."HGH, he doesn’t even know what that means. But that’s peoples opinion. I don’t care what people think, I know I have a clean fighter."
JUST FIGHT ALREADY- OR DON’T
The way things are going, both Pacquiao and Mayweather will be demanding possession of each others first-born child in negotiating this fight.( If you think about it, it’s only a bit crazier than Team Pacquiao’s insistence that Mayweather be docked $10- yes, 10- million for every pound over the welterweight limit. Maybe it’s just me, but anyone else getting a bit sick and tired of this constant back-and-forthing? What had the potential to be a spectacular event for the sport of boxing, instead, could now turn into another example of what is wrong with this business.
Listen, it’s already bad enough that they decided to make the short-sighted decision to place this event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas( where even if you could afford the exorbitant ticket prices, unless you’re a high-roller or celeb, you couldn’t purchase them anyway) and then to hear those involved state so proudly just what financial records they will break, all the while lining their pockets as they charge you suckers $100 for closed-circuit tickets, it’s all a bit disconcerting if you ask me.
I guess some things are recession-proof, like the hubris of those running this sport and the loyalty of those who follow it.
This isn’t so much a prizefight now, but a group of millionaires getting together and divvying up their intricate and highly profitable Ponzi scheme as they laugh all the way to the bank. Bernie Madoff never had it so easy. By the time- if and when- they touch’em up on March 13th, will anyone involved in this promotion really be a loser?
But just hurry and sign the damn contract. Or don’t. Because at this point I’m not so sure I really care that much if these two guys are facing Matthew Hatton and Yuri Foreman in their next outings.
This past week’s edition of “The Main Event” featured Calvin Watkins and Tom Hauser...Questions or comments can be directed to me at k9kim@yahoo.com... Twitter.com/stevemaxboxing…
Source: secondsout.com
Quite the uproar was caused when Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions put out a press release on Tuesday afternoon which basically stated this since Manny Pacquiao did not want to adhere to Olympic-style drug testing, that the March 13Th fight against Floyd Mayweather was in jeopardy. A link to the press release is down below:
http://www.maxboxing.com/news/promo-lead/mayweather-vs-pacquiao-in-jeopardy
What had started out as a surprisingly easy and amicable negotiation, has now turned a bit ugly and vitriolic (which isn’t a surprise).
"We’re willing to do all kinds of urine analysis. We’re willing to do blood testing before the last press conference and after the fight," Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, told Maxboxing on early Tuesday evening."We’re not willing to do blood testing while he’s in training because he claims it weakens him. And one major doctor we talked to says that blood testing is absolutely, totally irrelevant. Totally irrelevant. We’re willing to do random urinalysis at any time."
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach says,"The thing is, I talked to the drug testing people today and I said,’Can you guarantee me that Manny wont have to give blood the day before the fight?’ They said no. I said,’Then we can’t do the test.’" He added later,"We go by the commission rules, the sanctioning body rules. Mayweather doesn’t make the rules, we don’t work for Mayweather. He needs us, we don’t need him."
When Arum was asked if he felt that Mayweather was playing mind games, Arum, blurted out:" OF COURSE THEY ARE!!! OF COURSE THEY ARE!!! And they can go screw themselves! I don’t care if this fight doesn’t happen."
A short time ago, Arum had displaced himself from the negotiations and put his step-son, Todd duBoef, in charge of negotiating this fight."Look, Todd started appeasing them by agreeing to do this, to do that, and I would’ve said,’Screw it,’ I wouldn’t have agreed to anything."
So in his opinion, will Pacquiao-Mayweather take place on March 13th?
"No," was Arum’s answer."Because Manny is not going to be subjected to blood-testing while he’s in training and they’re going to insist on it because they never really wanted to do the fight." Arum admitted that he had already begun the process of finding Pacquiao’s next fight."Absolutely, but I don’t want to discuss it till I talk to Manny."
But Roach has a different take.
"Where else is he( Mayweather) going to go get the kind of money that he wants?. I think it’ll happen."
Then again, the same question could be posed to ’the Pac Man’.
But the question has to be asked, are they balking at this stipulation because they have something to hide?
"Well, we’ve passed every drug test that we’ve ever had for every fight. We tested every time. So there’s no history in that. Manny Pacquiao, I mean, I have trouble giving him protein shakes and and vitamins," stated Roach."HGH, he doesn’t even know what that means. But that’s peoples opinion. I don’t care what people think, I know I have a clean fighter."
JUST FIGHT ALREADY- OR DON’T
The way things are going, both Pacquiao and Mayweather will be demanding possession of each others first-born child in negotiating this fight.( If you think about it, it’s only a bit crazier than Team Pacquiao’s insistence that Mayweather be docked $10- yes, 10- million for every pound over the welterweight limit. Maybe it’s just me, but anyone else getting a bit sick and tired of this constant back-and-forthing? What had the potential to be a spectacular event for the sport of boxing, instead, could now turn into another example of what is wrong with this business.
Listen, it’s already bad enough that they decided to make the short-sighted decision to place this event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas( where even if you could afford the exorbitant ticket prices, unless you’re a high-roller or celeb, you couldn’t purchase them anyway) and then to hear those involved state so proudly just what financial records they will break, all the while lining their pockets as they charge you suckers $100 for closed-circuit tickets, it’s all a bit disconcerting if you ask me.
I guess some things are recession-proof, like the hubris of those running this sport and the loyalty of those who follow it.
This isn’t so much a prizefight now, but a group of millionaires getting together and divvying up their intricate and highly profitable Ponzi scheme as they laugh all the way to the bank. Bernie Madoff never had it so easy. By the time- if and when- they touch’em up on March 13th, will anyone involved in this promotion really be a loser?
But just hurry and sign the damn contract. Or don’t. Because at this point I’m not so sure I really care that much if these two guys are facing Matthew Hatton and Yuri Foreman in their next outings.
This past week’s edition of “The Main Event” featured Calvin Watkins and Tom Hauser...Questions or comments can be directed to me at k9kim@yahoo.com... Twitter.com/stevemaxboxing…
Source: secondsout.com
PRESS RELEASE -MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO IN JEOPARDY -- Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions
Source: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs044/1102055440350/archive/1102903092045.html
MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO IN JEOPARDY AS PACQUIAO REFUSES TO COMPLY WITH UNITED STATES ANTI DOPING DRUG TESTING PROCEDURES
LOS ANGELES, CA (December 22, 2009) . . . The mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is now in jeopardy after Golden Boy Promotions, on behalf of Mayweather Promotions, learned today that Manny Pacquiao is refusing to comply with Olympic style drug testing as outlined and mandated by the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA) and as requested by Mayweather's management to ensure fair play and sportsmanship by both fighters.
Early today Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, was contacted by Top Rank President Todd duBoef, who informed Schaefer that Pacquiao would not agree to have his blood taken within 30-days of the bout based on the fighter's superstition of testing so close to a fight.
Schaefer commented, "Todd told me that Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn't want to do it so close to the fight. He, Pacquiao, would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight."
Olympic style drug testing involves random sampling of the athlete's blood and urine prior to and after the fight. The USADA procedure includes both blood and urine sampling so that all banned substances, some of which do not show up in urine alone, are tested for thoroughly.
"It is unfortunate to hear this from Manny Pacquiao's representatives, particularly since, as of today, both parties had worked out all other issues related to this fight," said Schaefer. "Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes such as Lance Armstrong, and Olympians Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant."
Mayweather, who was informed of Pacquiao's reluctance shortly after Schaefer received word of the impasse, feels Pacquiao has to explain himself immediately or be faced with accusations from the media and the public regarding his own status as a clean and drug free athlete.
"I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does," said Mayweather. "But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions said, "We hope that Manny will do the right thing and agree to the testing as it is an egregious act to deny the testing and hence, deny the millions of fans the right to see this amazing fight. We just want to make sure there is a level playing field in a sport that is a man-to-man contest that relies on strength and ability. I still hope this decision is coming from someone in Pacquiao's camp and not Manny himself as it would be a shame that an athlete of his stature and who represents his whole country would not be able to show the public or his fellow athletes that he agrees to the highest standards in sports competition."
Contact:
Kelly Swanson/Jeremy Silkowitz, Mayweather Promotions/Swanson Communications, 202-783-5500
Ramiro Gonzalez/Monica Sears, Golden Boy Promotions, 213-489-5631
Source: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs044/1102055440350/archive/1102903092045.html
MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO IN JEOPARDY AS PACQUIAO REFUSES TO COMPLY WITH UNITED STATES ANTI DOPING DRUG TESTING PROCEDURES
LOS ANGELES, CA (December 22, 2009) . . . The mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is now in jeopardy after Golden Boy Promotions, on behalf of Mayweather Promotions, learned today that Manny Pacquiao is refusing to comply with Olympic style drug testing as outlined and mandated by the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA) and as requested by Mayweather's management to ensure fair play and sportsmanship by both fighters.
Early today Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, was contacted by Top Rank President Todd duBoef, who informed Schaefer that Pacquiao would not agree to have his blood taken within 30-days of the bout based on the fighter's superstition of testing so close to a fight.
Schaefer commented, "Todd told me that Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn't want to do it so close to the fight. He, Pacquiao, would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight."
Olympic style drug testing involves random sampling of the athlete's blood and urine prior to and after the fight. The USADA procedure includes both blood and urine sampling so that all banned substances, some of which do not show up in urine alone, are tested for thoroughly.
"It is unfortunate to hear this from Manny Pacquiao's representatives, particularly since, as of today, both parties had worked out all other issues related to this fight," said Schaefer. "Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes such as Lance Armstrong, and Olympians Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant."
Mayweather, who was informed of Pacquiao's reluctance shortly after Schaefer received word of the impasse, feels Pacquiao has to explain himself immediately or be faced with accusations from the media and the public regarding his own status as a clean and drug free athlete.
"I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does," said Mayweather. "But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions said, "We hope that Manny will do the right thing and agree to the testing as it is an egregious act to deny the testing and hence, deny the millions of fans the right to see this amazing fight. We just want to make sure there is a level playing field in a sport that is a man-to-man contest that relies on strength and ability. I still hope this decision is coming from someone in Pacquiao's camp and not Manny himself as it would be a shame that an athlete of his stature and who represents his whole country would not be able to show the public or his fellow athletes that he agrees to the highest standards in sports competition."
Contact:
Kelly Swanson/Jeremy Silkowitz, Mayweather Promotions/Swanson Communications, 202-783-5500
Ramiro Gonzalez/Monica Sears, Golden Boy Promotions, 213-489-5631
Source: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs044/1102055440350/archive/1102903092045.html
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON PACQUIAO-MAYWEATHER DRUG TEST ISSUE -- PhilBoxing.com
By Ronnie Nathanielsz, PhilBoxing.com
There appears to be a deliberate attempt by the camp of Floyd Mayweather Jr to mislead the public about pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao’s stand on the issue of Olympic-style drug testing.
A report datelined Los Angeles stated that the mega fight was in jeopardy after Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer who is negotiating fight details with Top Rank’s Bob Arum learned that Pacquiao was “refusing to comply” with Olympic-style drug testing as outlined and mandated by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and as requested by Mayweather’s management to ensure fair play and sportsmanship by both fighters.
The claim that Pacquiao refused to comply is completely false. He agreed to the blood tests before the kickoff press conference and after the fight. Where is the difference? If he is on any performance-enhancing drugs as repeatedly claimed by Floyd’s father, Floyd Mayweather Sr who failed to provide a shred of evidence to substantiate his charges and instead illogically (what’s new) demanded that Pacquiao prove he’s clean, surely the tests after the fight should satisfy any doubts.
If the USADA tests were taken at random why can’t they be taken before the press conference and after the fight? What difference does it make?
Pacquiao has, throughout his career, fought fair and square and never complained even when he lost as he did against Erik “El Terrible” Morales when a head-butt by Morales in round five opened up a nasty gash which bled profusely throughout the fight and which referee Joe Cortez erroneously claimed was caused by a punch!
Come to think of it, it was Floyd Mayweather Jr who failed to comply with the stipulated weight against the much smaller Juan Manuel Marquez, came in two pounds over the agreed upon limit and used his advantage to batter Marquez. Sure, Mayweather Jr paid $600,000 as a penalty but he used an unfair weight advantage in the ring to beat Marquez. So much for talk of fair play and sportsmanship!
That’s why Team Pacquiao is demanding that if Mayweather doesn’t make the 147 pound welterweight limit against Pacquiao he should pay $10 million per pound or a fraction thereof. In short, don’t let him cheat on the scales and get away by paying a fine. Make it hurt his pocket real bad.
Drug-testing is not mandated by the USADA in pro boxing. In Las Vegas that’s left to the Nevada State Athletic Commission under the highly respected lawyer Keith Kizer who has stated over and over again in response to the ranting of Mayweather Sr that Pacquiao has been tested before and after every fight and has come out spotlessly clean. The Mayweather camp wanted the fight in Las Vegas instead of Dallas, Texas because they were comfortable in Las Vegas and had faith in the NSAC. Why then don’t they trust the drug-testing by the Commission?
Schaefer’s statement that “Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes such as Lance Armstrong, and Olympians Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant." Come on Richard, that’s not true and you know it. Manny didn’t refuse the drug-testing. He said he'll do it before the kickoff press conference and after the fight!!
By the way Richard, perhaps you should invite the USADA to conduct random drug tests on Sugar Shane Mosley before and after the Berto fight.
Mayweather reportedly feels that Pacquiao has to explain himself immediately or be faced with accusations from the media and the public regarding his own status as a clean and drug free athlete. Condescending to say the least. Pacquiao hasn’t asked Mayweather to explain his irrational behavior or his family history of getting into trouble with the law or even the recent incident when Mayweather’s car was seen at a venue where shots were allegedly fired by his bodyguards.
Mayweather went on "I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does," said Mayweather. "But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."
Come on Floyd, which nation’s athletes have been found to use steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs? Look at baseball one of the biggest sports in the US. Look at the history of athletics where multi-titled sprinters were found to be on steroids. How many American athletes have been found to be on drugs? Of course, to the credit of the United States and the USADA these cheats have been found out. But this is not the style of Filipinos – despite all our weaknesses and frailties. We fight clean, fight hard and accept our defeats with grace and our victories – as Pacquiao has so often shown – with humility
Leonard Ellerbe, the adviser of Mayweather, has also joined in stating "We hope that Manny will do the right thing and agree to the testing as it is an egregious act to deny the testing and hence, deny the millions of fans the right to see this amazing fight. We just want to make sure there is a level playing field in a sport that is a man-to-man contest that relies on strength and ability. I still hope this decision is coming from someone in Pacquiao's camp and not Manny himself as it would be a shame that an athlete of his stature and who represents his whole country would not be able to show the public or his fellow athletes that he agrees to the highest standards in sports competition."
Mr. Ellerbe, you talk of a level playing field yet Floyd came into the fight against Marquez two pounds over the stipulated weight limit. Was that a level playing field or are you suggesting that by paying Marquez $600,000 it leveled the playing field and kept faith with the highest standards of sports competition?
We have known Manny from the time he began his career as a 16 year old kid on a weekly TV boxing show we produced and anchored much of the time and know he has a phobia about needles which means injections of any kind or extraction of blood. To ask him to be available any time the USADA knocks on his door and wants to stuff a needle in him is a pitiful attempt to load the dice against Pacquiao. Beyond that what is the difference between the testing methods of the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the United States Anti-Doping Agency. I guess it’s the letters US in front that puts the agency on a higher pedestal than the NSAC and gives it some assumed clout or power. Besides, do these people suggest that you can’t find a trace of performance-enhancing drugs a few minutes after a fight but can find it at random before? Doesn’t make sense to us.
Bottom line is what trainer Freddie Roach has always maintained and that is that Mayweather Jr is scared to fight Pacquiao who is at his peak and almost invincible. A dead giveaway was his insistence on staging the fight on March 13 when Manny hade somewhat of a hard fight against Miguel Cotto last November 14 besides having the May congressional elections on his mind. He thought Pacquiao wouldn’t agree and as the astute Bob Arum pointed out if Manny said no and wanted a fight later in the year Mayweather would have capitalized on it and said Manny was scared and didn’t want to fight.
Methinks it’s the other way around as conditioning expert Alex Ariza points out … Floyd is scared of getting the beating of his life.
As Bob Arum told us minutes ago, "Mayweather can go to hell."
Source: philboxing.com
There appears to be a deliberate attempt by the camp of Floyd Mayweather Jr to mislead the public about pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao’s stand on the issue of Olympic-style drug testing.
A report datelined Los Angeles stated that the mega fight was in jeopardy after Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer who is negotiating fight details with Top Rank’s Bob Arum learned that Pacquiao was “refusing to comply” with Olympic-style drug testing as outlined and mandated by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and as requested by Mayweather’s management to ensure fair play and sportsmanship by both fighters.
The claim that Pacquiao refused to comply is completely false. He agreed to the blood tests before the kickoff press conference and after the fight. Where is the difference? If he is on any performance-enhancing drugs as repeatedly claimed by Floyd’s father, Floyd Mayweather Sr who failed to provide a shred of evidence to substantiate his charges and instead illogically (what’s new) demanded that Pacquiao prove he’s clean, surely the tests after the fight should satisfy any doubts.
If the USADA tests were taken at random why can’t they be taken before the press conference and after the fight? What difference does it make?
Pacquiao has, throughout his career, fought fair and square and never complained even when he lost as he did against Erik “El Terrible” Morales when a head-butt by Morales in round five opened up a nasty gash which bled profusely throughout the fight and which referee Joe Cortez erroneously claimed was caused by a punch!
Come to think of it, it was Floyd Mayweather Jr who failed to comply with the stipulated weight against the much smaller Juan Manuel Marquez, came in two pounds over the agreed upon limit and used his advantage to batter Marquez. Sure, Mayweather Jr paid $600,000 as a penalty but he used an unfair weight advantage in the ring to beat Marquez. So much for talk of fair play and sportsmanship!
That’s why Team Pacquiao is demanding that if Mayweather doesn’t make the 147 pound welterweight limit against Pacquiao he should pay $10 million per pound or a fraction thereof. In short, don’t let him cheat on the scales and get away by paying a fine. Make it hurt his pocket real bad.
Drug-testing is not mandated by the USADA in pro boxing. In Las Vegas that’s left to the Nevada State Athletic Commission under the highly respected lawyer Keith Kizer who has stated over and over again in response to the ranting of Mayweather Sr that Pacquiao has been tested before and after every fight and has come out spotlessly clean. The Mayweather camp wanted the fight in Las Vegas instead of Dallas, Texas because they were comfortable in Las Vegas and had faith in the NSAC. Why then don’t they trust the drug-testing by the Commission?
Schaefer’s statement that “Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes such as Lance Armstrong, and Olympians Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant." Come on Richard, that’s not true and you know it. Manny didn’t refuse the drug-testing. He said he'll do it before the kickoff press conference and after the fight!!
By the way Richard, perhaps you should invite the USADA to conduct random drug tests on Sugar Shane Mosley before and after the Berto fight.
Mayweather reportedly feels that Pacquiao has to explain himself immediately or be faced with accusations from the media and the public regarding his own status as a clean and drug free athlete. Condescending to say the least. Pacquiao hasn’t asked Mayweather to explain his irrational behavior or his family history of getting into trouble with the law or even the recent incident when Mayweather’s car was seen at a venue where shots were allegedly fired by his bodyguards.
Mayweather went on "I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does," said Mayweather. "But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."
Come on Floyd, which nation’s athletes have been found to use steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs? Look at baseball one of the biggest sports in the US. Look at the history of athletics where multi-titled sprinters were found to be on steroids. How many American athletes have been found to be on drugs? Of course, to the credit of the United States and the USADA these cheats have been found out. But this is not the style of Filipinos – despite all our weaknesses and frailties. We fight clean, fight hard and accept our defeats with grace and our victories – as Pacquiao has so often shown – with humility
Leonard Ellerbe, the adviser of Mayweather, has also joined in stating "We hope that Manny will do the right thing and agree to the testing as it is an egregious act to deny the testing and hence, deny the millions of fans the right to see this amazing fight. We just want to make sure there is a level playing field in a sport that is a man-to-man contest that relies on strength and ability. I still hope this decision is coming from someone in Pacquiao's camp and not Manny himself as it would be a shame that an athlete of his stature and who represents his whole country would not be able to show the public or his fellow athletes that he agrees to the highest standards in sports competition."
Mr. Ellerbe, you talk of a level playing field yet Floyd came into the fight against Marquez two pounds over the stipulated weight limit. Was that a level playing field or are you suggesting that by paying Marquez $600,000 it leveled the playing field and kept faith with the highest standards of sports competition?
We have known Manny from the time he began his career as a 16 year old kid on a weekly TV boxing show we produced and anchored much of the time and know he has a phobia about needles which means injections of any kind or extraction of blood. To ask him to be available any time the USADA knocks on his door and wants to stuff a needle in him is a pitiful attempt to load the dice against Pacquiao. Beyond that what is the difference between the testing methods of the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the United States Anti-Doping Agency. I guess it’s the letters US in front that puts the agency on a higher pedestal than the NSAC and gives it some assumed clout or power. Besides, do these people suggest that you can’t find a trace of performance-enhancing drugs a few minutes after a fight but can find it at random before? Doesn’t make sense to us.
Bottom line is what trainer Freddie Roach has always maintained and that is that Mayweather Jr is scared to fight Pacquiao who is at his peak and almost invincible. A dead giveaway was his insistence on staging the fight on March 13 when Manny hade somewhat of a hard fight against Miguel Cotto last November 14 besides having the May congressional elections on his mind. He thought Pacquiao wouldn’t agree and as the astute Bob Arum pointed out if Manny said no and wanted a fight later in the year Mayweather would have capitalized on it and said Manny was scared and didn’t want to fight.
Methinks it’s the other way around as conditioning expert Alex Ariza points out … Floyd is scared of getting the beating of his life.
As Bob Arum told us minutes ago, "Mayweather can go to hell."
Source: philboxing.com
Roach BLASTS Mayweathers - "Mayweather is a coward!" -- 8CountNews.com
By Brad Cooney, 8CountNews.com
8CountNews contacted Freddie Roach to get his thoughts on the recent reports of Manny Pacquiao's refusal to give blood the day before the scheduled fight with Floyd Mayweather. Roach says that he is the one advising Manny not to give the blood the day before the fight. Roach blasts the Mayweather's calling them cowards, and scared. Check out what else Freddie Roach had to say in this exclusive 8CN interview.
8CN - Freddie, todays headlines all say that Manny Pacquiao is refusing to give blood the day before the fight. What is your response?
FR - Well the sanctioning bodies and the state commissions run the boxing world, not Floyd Mayweather. Who is this guy to tell us that we have to have blood tests, or urine tests, or any tests? He's just looking for a way out of the fight. He is scared, and he's just afraid that he's going to get his ass kicked. We don't work for Floyd Mayweather. We fight for the state commission, since when does the fighter make up the rules?
8CN - To play devils advocate, Floyd's people firmly believe that Manny is taking steroids. Why not just take the test and prove them wrong?
FR - So, what if I think Mayweather is taking steroids too?, so does that mean I go out and change the rules in boxing? This guy isn't going to walk all over us, he's not railroading us. This is bullshit, we will go by the rules of the commission, and that's it. We'll go on to other things, and he can make no money fighting some bum. My fighter is clean, I have trouble giving Manny protein shakes and vitamins, let alone steroids. We will pass the drug test, because my fighter is clean.
8CN - Is it Manny refusing to take the blood test or is it someone deciding for him?
FR - It's me, I am not going to let my fighter give blood a day before the fight.
8CN - What can giving blood a day before a fight do to a fighter?
FR - It's just like having sex before a fight. You're not supposed to have sex before a fight, it makes you weak. If you mentally think that, it will. When Manny gives blood it takes him 3 or 4 days to recover from it. I am not going to have my fighter going into a fight feeling weak and not sure of himself.
8CN - Is it true that Manny never wanted to give blood the day before any of his fights?
FR - We will never do it a day before a fight. We never flunked a urine test, and there is no reason to think my fighter is dirty. We have passed every test ever given to us. We go by the commission rules, not no rule Mayweather puts out there.
8CN - So it's fair to say that the ball is completely in Mayweathers court now, you guys are not budging?
FR - Yes it's fair to say that. If Floyd wants to fight us, then step up and fight us. If you want Manny to take a blood test after the fight, no problem, but not a day before.
8CN - Wouldn't a blood test the day after the fight be the same as a test a day before? I mean if Manny was taking steroids, wouldn't the test the day after the fight show the same thing as it would the day before?
FR - Yes agreed. A urine test will show the same thing too, but if they want a blood test the day after the fight, I have no problem with that. I will not have my guy giving blood a day before the fight, that will make him weak. Why is Floyd Mayweather dictating what we do in life? It's crazy... he's a coward and he's afraid to fight us and that is all there is to it.
8CN - If this fight gets scratched, what's next?
FR - We go up and get Yuri Foreman's title. We will go up one more weight division, just for you Floyd!
Source: 8countnews.com
8CountNews contacted Freddie Roach to get his thoughts on the recent reports of Manny Pacquiao's refusal to give blood the day before the scheduled fight with Floyd Mayweather. Roach says that he is the one advising Manny not to give the blood the day before the fight. Roach blasts the Mayweather's calling them cowards, and scared. Check out what else Freddie Roach had to say in this exclusive 8CN interview.
8CN - Freddie, todays headlines all say that Manny Pacquiao is refusing to give blood the day before the fight. What is your response?
FR - Well the sanctioning bodies and the state commissions run the boxing world, not Floyd Mayweather. Who is this guy to tell us that we have to have blood tests, or urine tests, or any tests? He's just looking for a way out of the fight. He is scared, and he's just afraid that he's going to get his ass kicked. We don't work for Floyd Mayweather. We fight for the state commission, since when does the fighter make up the rules?
8CN - To play devils advocate, Floyd's people firmly believe that Manny is taking steroids. Why not just take the test and prove them wrong?
FR - So, what if I think Mayweather is taking steroids too?, so does that mean I go out and change the rules in boxing? This guy isn't going to walk all over us, he's not railroading us. This is bullshit, we will go by the rules of the commission, and that's it. We'll go on to other things, and he can make no money fighting some bum. My fighter is clean, I have trouble giving Manny protein shakes and vitamins, let alone steroids. We will pass the drug test, because my fighter is clean.
8CN - Is it Manny refusing to take the blood test or is it someone deciding for him?
FR - It's me, I am not going to let my fighter give blood a day before the fight.
8CN - What can giving blood a day before a fight do to a fighter?
FR - It's just like having sex before a fight. You're not supposed to have sex before a fight, it makes you weak. If you mentally think that, it will. When Manny gives blood it takes him 3 or 4 days to recover from it. I am not going to have my fighter going into a fight feeling weak and not sure of himself.
8CN - Is it true that Manny never wanted to give blood the day before any of his fights?
FR - We will never do it a day before a fight. We never flunked a urine test, and there is no reason to think my fighter is dirty. We have passed every test ever given to us. We go by the commission rules, not no rule Mayweather puts out there.
8CN - So it's fair to say that the ball is completely in Mayweathers court now, you guys are not budging?
FR - Yes it's fair to say that. If Floyd wants to fight us, then step up and fight us. If you want Manny to take a blood test after the fight, no problem, but not a day before.
8CN - Wouldn't a blood test the day after the fight be the same as a test a day before? I mean if Manny was taking steroids, wouldn't the test the day after the fight show the same thing as it would the day before?
FR - Yes agreed. A urine test will show the same thing too, but if they want a blood test the day after the fight, I have no problem with that. I will not have my guy giving blood a day before the fight, that will make him weak. Why is Floyd Mayweather dictating what we do in life? It's crazy... he's a coward and he's afraid to fight us and that is all there is to it.
8CN - If this fight gets scratched, what's next?
FR - We go up and get Yuri Foreman's title. We will go up one more weight division, just for you Floyd!
Source: 8countnews.com
Floyd Mayweather Sr. on Manny Pacquiao's refusal of Olympic-style drug testing: 'I was right' -- The Grand Rapids Press
By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press
The proposed March 13 fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is "in jeopardy" after Pacquiao has refused to submit himself to Olypmic-style random drug testing before the fight.
The Filipino has been the subject of speculation about whether he has used performance-enhancing drugs since Floyd Mayweather Sr. first broached the issue to The Press in September.
Pacquiao has passed every drug test administered after his fights but others in the boxing community -- most notably former world champions Paulie Malignaggi and Kermit Cintron -- have expressed some doubts since Mayweather Sr.'s initial statements.
Mayweather Sr. took Tuesday’s news as validation of his opinion.
“That tells you right there, I was right. You have to think that way,” he said. “Like I said from the start, that was just my opinion. It’s a lot of people’s opinion now. For that kind of money, how could you not take a test? There’s a reason. Just what I said is the reason, that’s it, right there.”
Mayweather Sr., a prominent trainer who said he discussed the situation with his son Tuesday afternoon, suggested his own rival and Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, has to know whether the fighter uses performance-enhancing substances.
“That’s his trainer,” he said. “You know damn well he knows what’s going on. I’ve been trying to tell everybody all the time, man. I ain’t never seen anybody in my life, some little man coming up in weight like that, then taking these big men and putting them down. That’s (expletive). I ain’t never seen anything like it. Cotto said it was the hardest he ever got hit by anybody. That doesn’t make any sense."
E-mail David Mayo at dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo
Source: mlive.com
The proposed March 13 fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is "in jeopardy" after Pacquiao has refused to submit himself to Olypmic-style random drug testing before the fight.
The Filipino has been the subject of speculation about whether he has used performance-enhancing drugs since Floyd Mayweather Sr. first broached the issue to The Press in September.
Pacquiao has passed every drug test administered after his fights but others in the boxing community -- most notably former world champions Paulie Malignaggi and Kermit Cintron -- have expressed some doubts since Mayweather Sr.'s initial statements.
Mayweather Sr. took Tuesday’s news as validation of his opinion.
“That tells you right there, I was right. You have to think that way,” he said. “Like I said from the start, that was just my opinion. It’s a lot of people’s opinion now. For that kind of money, how could you not take a test? There’s a reason. Just what I said is the reason, that’s it, right there.”
Mayweather Sr., a prominent trainer who said he discussed the situation with his son Tuesday afternoon, suggested his own rival and Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, has to know whether the fighter uses performance-enhancing substances.
“That’s his trainer,” he said. “You know damn well he knows what’s going on. I’ve been trying to tell everybody all the time, man. I ain’t never seen anybody in my life, some little man coming up in weight like that, then taking these big men and putting them down. That’s (expletive). I ain’t never seen anything like it. Cotto said it was the hardest he ever got hit by anybody. That doesn’t make any sense."
E-mail David Mayo at dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo
Source: mlive.com
Testing issues could derail Mayweather-Pacquiao -- Yahoo! Sports
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
Nearly every detail is finalized for Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao to fight on March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas but one. That one detail, though, may kill the fight.
Negotiations are at an impasse over Pacquiao’s failure to agree to random Olympic-style drug testing, said Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, on Tuesday.
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said his fighter is willing to comply with strict drug-testing standards, but Roach won’t allow Pacquiao to have blood drawn 48 hours before the fight.
Ellerbe said he would not let Mayweather enter the ring unless Pacquiao agreed to it.
Both sides agreed that the drug testing issue is the only hurdle preventing the fight from being finished. Earlier Tuesday, Golden Boy Promotions officially requested March 13 from the Nevada State Athletic Commission to host the show.
“As Floyd’s management, we are insistent that there be a level playing field,” Ellerbe said. “This is in the best interests of the fighters, the fans and the sport. If you want a level playing field, the best way to do it is to have Olympic-style, random drug testing administered by the premier agency in the world, the [United States Anti-Doping Agency].”
Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said the demand is “absolutely crazy,” done simply to harass Pacquiao, who is squeamish about needles, and is proof that Mayweather doesn’t really want the fight.
Arum said the request has been an unsettled issue since the first day of negotiations last month.
“We’re not going to agree to have Manny give blood in training, because that’s stupid,” Arum said. “Every doctor in the world will tell you that is stupid. He’ll give his blood at the beginning of the year and he’s willing to be urine-tested 24/7, but blood doesn’t show [expletive] and he’s not going to do it.”
In a statement released by his publicist, Mayweather said he is willing to submit to the testing. There was never any suspicion that Pacquiao had ever taken banned substances until earlier this year, when Floyd Mayweather Sr. suggested he was on steroids.
Pacquiao has passed every urine test he’s been given in connection with boxing matches.
“I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don’t know anyone who really does,” Mayweather said in his statement. “But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same.
“It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA.”
Blood tests for illegal drugs and banned substances are not required by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which would have regulatory control of the bout if it is held in Las Vegas.
In Nevada, a fighter is required to submit to a blood test that screens for HIV and Hepatitis B and C, as well as other blood-borne diseases, as part of the requirement to gain a license.
A license in Nevada is good for one year. In Pacquiao’s case, he received his 2009 license shortly before he fought Ricky Hatton in May. He submitted his blood to the commission between April 5 and April 20, said Keith Kizer, the commission’s executive director.
Kizer said all fighters who fight in Nevada are subject to random urine tests as well as any other medical tests, such as an MRI or a CAT scan, that the commission deems necessary. Arum said Pacquiao is willing to submit to testing by an outside agency but won’t give his blood. Roach said it’s an issue because Mayweather’s side has been insisting Pacquiao give blood as close as 48 hours within the fight.
“We’ll accommodate their requests and do urine testing up the wazoo and we’ll agree to have them done by an outside agency,” Arum said. “Manny has nothing to hide. But he’s not going to give blood because that’s crazy. He’ll do it at the beginning and he’ll do it at the end. That’s how it is done. Ask some former Olympic boxers how many times they give blood.”
Ellerbe said having the testing administered by USADA would quell suspicions about the procedures or the result.
“This is no rooty toot organization,” said Ellerbe, who noted that such testing was accepted by elite athletes such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Phelps and Lance Armstrong.
Roach scoffed at such talk and said it won’t matter to him if the fight is not held.
“I really don’t care, because Manny doesn’t need Floyd Mayweather,” Roach said. “The tests he’s requesting are not commission tests, they’re not boxing tests and this is not an Olympic sport. A urine test is just as qualified as a blood test. [Human growth hormone] is not detected by blood or urine.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency successfully used blood testing at the 2004 Olympics in Athens to test for HGH.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
Nearly every detail is finalized for Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao to fight on March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas but one. That one detail, though, may kill the fight.
Negotiations are at an impasse over Pacquiao’s failure to agree to random Olympic-style drug testing, said Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, on Tuesday.
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said his fighter is willing to comply with strict drug-testing standards, but Roach won’t allow Pacquiao to have blood drawn 48 hours before the fight.
Ellerbe said he would not let Mayweather enter the ring unless Pacquiao agreed to it.
Both sides agreed that the drug testing issue is the only hurdle preventing the fight from being finished. Earlier Tuesday, Golden Boy Promotions officially requested March 13 from the Nevada State Athletic Commission to host the show.
“As Floyd’s management, we are insistent that there be a level playing field,” Ellerbe said. “This is in the best interests of the fighters, the fans and the sport. If you want a level playing field, the best way to do it is to have Olympic-style, random drug testing administered by the premier agency in the world, the [United States Anti-Doping Agency].”
Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said the demand is “absolutely crazy,” done simply to harass Pacquiao, who is squeamish about needles, and is proof that Mayweather doesn’t really want the fight.
Arum said the request has been an unsettled issue since the first day of negotiations last month.
“We’re not going to agree to have Manny give blood in training, because that’s stupid,” Arum said. “Every doctor in the world will tell you that is stupid. He’ll give his blood at the beginning of the year and he’s willing to be urine-tested 24/7, but blood doesn’t show [expletive] and he’s not going to do it.”
In a statement released by his publicist, Mayweather said he is willing to submit to the testing. There was never any suspicion that Pacquiao had ever taken banned substances until earlier this year, when Floyd Mayweather Sr. suggested he was on steroids.
Pacquiao has passed every urine test he’s been given in connection with boxing matches.
“I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don’t know anyone who really does,” Mayweather said in his statement. “But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same.
“It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA.”
Blood tests for illegal drugs and banned substances are not required by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which would have regulatory control of the bout if it is held in Las Vegas.
In Nevada, a fighter is required to submit to a blood test that screens for HIV and Hepatitis B and C, as well as other blood-borne diseases, as part of the requirement to gain a license.
A license in Nevada is good for one year. In Pacquiao’s case, he received his 2009 license shortly before he fought Ricky Hatton in May. He submitted his blood to the commission between April 5 and April 20, said Keith Kizer, the commission’s executive director.
Kizer said all fighters who fight in Nevada are subject to random urine tests as well as any other medical tests, such as an MRI or a CAT scan, that the commission deems necessary. Arum said Pacquiao is willing to submit to testing by an outside agency but won’t give his blood. Roach said it’s an issue because Mayweather’s side has been insisting Pacquiao give blood as close as 48 hours within the fight.
“We’ll accommodate their requests and do urine testing up the wazoo and we’ll agree to have them done by an outside agency,” Arum said. “Manny has nothing to hide. But he’s not going to give blood because that’s crazy. He’ll do it at the beginning and he’ll do it at the end. That’s how it is done. Ask some former Olympic boxers how many times they give blood.”
Ellerbe said having the testing administered by USADA would quell suspicions about the procedures or the result.
“This is no rooty toot organization,” said Ellerbe, who noted that such testing was accepted by elite athletes such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Phelps and Lance Armstrong.
Roach scoffed at such talk and said it won’t matter to him if the fight is not held.
“I really don’t care, because Manny doesn’t need Floyd Mayweather,” Roach said. “The tests he’s requesting are not commission tests, they’re not boxing tests and this is not an Olympic sport. A urine test is just as qualified as a blood test. [Human growth hormone] is not detected by blood or urine.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency successfully used blood testing at the 2004 Olympics in Athens to test for HGH.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
Mayweather, Pacquiao camps argue drug-testing points -- Los Angeles Times
By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times
Floyd Mayweather Jr. wants Manny Pacquiao to submit to Olympic-style drug testing that would include a blood sample being taken within days of their tentatively scheduled March 13 bout.
"It is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level," Mayweather said in a statement released by his promoter Tuesday.
Pacquiao has expressed reluctance to agree to a blood draw any time within 30 days of the world welterweight title fight, which will be staged at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, officials told The Times Tuesday.
So, with the drug-testing plan in limbo, Team Mayweather is claiming the verbally agreed deal by the fighters is "now in jeopardy."
"I don’t want to speculate or make any accusations, but as management for Floyd, we’re insisting this Olympic-style, random testing take place to assure it’s a level field before the biggest fight in history," Mayweather’s advisor Leonard Ellerbe told The Times. "We’re definitely at an impasse."
Pacquiao and Mayweather have previously sumitted to, and passed, urine tests for performance-enhancing and street drugs supervised by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. An independent body would conduct the blood test.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said he is insistent that his fighter not be tested within 24 hours of the fight. Roach also casted Mayweather’s push for blood testing as a ploy to avoid accepting the bout against the back-to-back fighter of the year who has battered world champions Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto in sucessive bouts.
"I knew Floyd wanted a way out of the fight and now he’s found one," Roach said.
Mayweather advisor Ellerbe answered, "Freddie Roach is full of [it], they’re scrambling, and he knows that. Floyd doesn’t have a problem with it, so Manny Pacquiao sure shouldn’t have a problem with it."
Roach said his concern has nothing to do with hiding anything.
"Giving blood right before the fight could be like having sex right before the fight," Roach said. "It’s 100% mental. If it’s in your head that it weakens you, then it will weaken you."
Roach extended an olive branch to the riff, saying he would allow Pacquiao to give a blood sample one week before the fight, but no closer than three days before the first bell.
Ellerbe said, "It’s our understanding [the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency] won’t be drawing the blood within 24 hours of the fight, so there shouldn’t be a problem. If Freddie thinks Floyd is running from him, all they have to do is agree to the testing."
"I just hope Manny has not been properly briefed on this, because, of course, one would assume that he’d find it acceptable to be subject to the same testing that Lance Armstrong, Kobe Bryant and Floyd Mayweather agree to," Mayweather promoter Richard Schaefer said. "If he decides to walk away from this fight because of a blood test, then draw your own conclusions."
--Lance Pugmire
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
Floyd Mayweather Jr. wants Manny Pacquiao to submit to Olympic-style drug testing that would include a blood sample being taken within days of their tentatively scheduled March 13 bout.
"It is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level," Mayweather said in a statement released by his promoter Tuesday.
Pacquiao has expressed reluctance to agree to a blood draw any time within 30 days of the world welterweight title fight, which will be staged at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, officials told The Times Tuesday.
So, with the drug-testing plan in limbo, Team Mayweather is claiming the verbally agreed deal by the fighters is "now in jeopardy."
"I don’t want to speculate or make any accusations, but as management for Floyd, we’re insisting this Olympic-style, random testing take place to assure it’s a level field before the biggest fight in history," Mayweather’s advisor Leonard Ellerbe told The Times. "We’re definitely at an impasse."
Pacquiao and Mayweather have previously sumitted to, and passed, urine tests for performance-enhancing and street drugs supervised by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. An independent body would conduct the blood test.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said he is insistent that his fighter not be tested within 24 hours of the fight. Roach also casted Mayweather’s push for blood testing as a ploy to avoid accepting the bout against the back-to-back fighter of the year who has battered world champions Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto in sucessive bouts.
"I knew Floyd wanted a way out of the fight and now he’s found one," Roach said.
Mayweather advisor Ellerbe answered, "Freddie Roach is full of [it], they’re scrambling, and he knows that. Floyd doesn’t have a problem with it, so Manny Pacquiao sure shouldn’t have a problem with it."
Roach said his concern has nothing to do with hiding anything.
"Giving blood right before the fight could be like having sex right before the fight," Roach said. "It’s 100% mental. If it’s in your head that it weakens you, then it will weaken you."
Roach extended an olive branch to the riff, saying he would allow Pacquiao to give a blood sample one week before the fight, but no closer than three days before the first bell.
Ellerbe said, "It’s our understanding [the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency] won’t be drawing the blood within 24 hours of the fight, so there shouldn’t be a problem. If Freddie thinks Floyd is running from him, all they have to do is agree to the testing."
"I just hope Manny has not been properly briefed on this, because, of course, one would assume that he’d find it acceptable to be subject to the same testing that Lance Armstrong, Kobe Bryant and Floyd Mayweather agree to," Mayweather promoter Richard Schaefer said. "If he decides to walk away from this fight because of a blood test, then draw your own conclusions."
--Lance Pugmire
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
Pacman demands -- FightNews.com
By Nick Giongco, FightNews.com
For fear of being outsmarted by Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, by way of his lawyer Franklin Gacal, said in a text message late Tuesday night in the Philippines that the Filipino fighter will be “demanding a penalty of $10 million per pound or a fraction thereof over and above 147 lbs during the weighin” in relation to the March 13, 2010 fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Gacal, however, made it clear that the “penalty applies to both fighters”, meaning if Pacquiao fails to make weight, he will also be forced to cough out the same amount.
Against Juan Manuel Marquez last September, Mayweather was compelled to pay Marquez a total of $600,000 for coming in at 146 lbs. The agreed weight was 144 lbs. Mayweather went on to beat the overpowered Mexican on a lopsided 12-round decision. It is unclear if Mayweather will agree to what appears to be an over-the-top demand by Team Pacquiao. Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions are staging the fight and a formal annoucement is being awaited anytime this week. Both fighters are guaranteed a purse of $25 million each and their total earnings can go up to as high as $40 million apiece.
Source: fightnews.com
For fear of being outsmarted by Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, by way of his lawyer Franklin Gacal, said in a text message late Tuesday night in the Philippines that the Filipino fighter will be “demanding a penalty of $10 million per pound or a fraction thereof over and above 147 lbs during the weighin” in relation to the March 13, 2010 fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Gacal, however, made it clear that the “penalty applies to both fighters”, meaning if Pacquiao fails to make weight, he will also be forced to cough out the same amount.
Against Juan Manuel Marquez last September, Mayweather was compelled to pay Marquez a total of $600,000 for coming in at 146 lbs. The agreed weight was 144 lbs. Mayweather went on to beat the overpowered Mexican on a lopsided 12-round decision. It is unclear if Mayweather will agree to what appears to be an over-the-top demand by Team Pacquiao. Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions are staging the fight and a formal annoucement is being awaited anytime this week. Both fighters are guaranteed a purse of $25 million each and their total earnings can go up to as high as $40 million apiece.
Source: fightnews.com
Pacquiao-Mayweather in jeopardy – Pretty Boy throws spanner in works -- Telegraph.co.uk
By Gareth A Davies, Telegraph.co.uk
It was bound to happen…and just before the Christmas break.
Floyd Mayweather has threatened to pull out – because Manny Pacquiao has not agreed to blood-testing.
Minutes ago, Golden Boy released the news. It was as inevitable as it was unavoidable. Expect a three-week power struggle…and renegotiation.
The mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is now in jeopardy after Golden Boy Promotions, on behalf of Mayweather Promotions, learned today that Manny Pacquiao is refusing to comply with Olympic style drug testing as outlined and mandated by the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA) and as requested by Mayweather’s management to ensure fair play and sportsmanship by both fighters.
Early today Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, was contacted by Top Rank President Todd duBoef, who informed Schaefer that Pacquiao would not agree to have his blood taken within 30-days of the bout based on the fighter’s superstition of testing so close to a fight.
Schaefer commented, “Todd told me that Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn’t want to do it so close to the fight. He, Pacquiao, would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight.”
Olympic style drug testing involves random sampling of the athlete’s blood and urine prior to and after the fight. The USADA procedure includes both blood and urine sampling so that all banned substances, some of which do not show up in urine alone, are tested for thoroughly.
“It is unfortunate to hear this from Manny Pacquiao’s representatives, particularly since, as of today, both parties had worked out all other issues related to this fight,” said Schaefer. “Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes such as Lance Armstrong, and Olympians Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.”
Mayweather, who was informed of Pacquiao’s reluctance shortly after Schaefer received word of the impasse, feels Pacquiao has to explain himself immediately or be faced with accusations from the media and the public regarding his own status as a clean and drug free athlete.
“I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don’t know anyone who really does,” said Mayweather. “But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA.”
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions said, “We hope that Manny will do the right thing and agree to the testing as it is an egregious act to deny the testing and hence, deny the millions of fans the right to see this amazing fight. We just want to make sure there is a level playing field in a sport that is a man-to-man contest that relies on strength and ability. I still hope this decision is coming from someone in Pacquiao’s camp and not Manny himself as it would be a shame that an athlete of his stature and who represents his whole country would not be able to show the public or his fellow athletes that he agrees to the highest standards in sports competition.”
Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk
It was bound to happen…and just before the Christmas break.
Floyd Mayweather has threatened to pull out – because Manny Pacquiao has not agreed to blood-testing.
Minutes ago, Golden Boy released the news. It was as inevitable as it was unavoidable. Expect a three-week power struggle…and renegotiation.
The mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is now in jeopardy after Golden Boy Promotions, on behalf of Mayweather Promotions, learned today that Manny Pacquiao is refusing to comply with Olympic style drug testing as outlined and mandated by the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA) and as requested by Mayweather’s management to ensure fair play and sportsmanship by both fighters.
Early today Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, was contacted by Top Rank President Todd duBoef, who informed Schaefer that Pacquiao would not agree to have his blood taken within 30-days of the bout based on the fighter’s superstition of testing so close to a fight.
Schaefer commented, “Todd told me that Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn’t want to do it so close to the fight. He, Pacquiao, would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight.”
Olympic style drug testing involves random sampling of the athlete’s blood and urine prior to and after the fight. The USADA procedure includes both blood and urine sampling so that all banned substances, some of which do not show up in urine alone, are tested for thoroughly.
“It is unfortunate to hear this from Manny Pacquiao’s representatives, particularly since, as of today, both parties had worked out all other issues related to this fight,” said Schaefer. “Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes such as Lance Armstrong, and Olympians Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.”
Mayweather, who was informed of Pacquiao’s reluctance shortly after Schaefer received word of the impasse, feels Pacquiao has to explain himself immediately or be faced with accusations from the media and the public regarding his own status as a clean and drug free athlete.
“I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don’t know anyone who really does,” said Mayweather. “But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA.”
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions said, “We hope that Manny will do the right thing and agree to the testing as it is an egregious act to deny the testing and hence, deny the millions of fans the right to see this amazing fight. We just want to make sure there is a level playing field in a sport that is a man-to-man contest that relies on strength and ability. I still hope this decision is coming from someone in Pacquiao’s camp and not Manny himself as it would be a shame that an athlete of his stature and who represents his whole country would not be able to show the public or his fellow athletes that he agrees to the highest standards in sports competition.”
Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk
Mayweather camp: Pacquiao declines Olympic drug testing, fight in jeopardy -- Los Angeles Times
By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times
The camp of Floyd Mayweather Jr. is claiming Manny Pacquiao is declining Olympic-style drug testing for their tentatively scheduled March 13 megafight, with Mayweather representatives going as far to say the bout is in "jeopardy" because of Pacquiao's stance.
Pacquiao has communicated that he'd be willing to give a blood sample only at the kick-off news conference 60 days before the fight, and after the bout, Mayweather representatives claim.
Mayweather's father, Floyd Sr., stated publicly earlier this year that he'd discourage his son from fighting Pacquiao because he suspects the Filipino superstar is using performance-enhancing drugs.
Mayweather's promoter, Richard Schaefer, said he was told earlier today by a Pacquiao promoter that Pacquiao "has difficulty taking blood and doesn't want to do it so close to the fight."
Mayweather responded, "It is our responsaibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level."
We'll have more on this later at latimes.com/sports, and in Wednesday's newspaper.
--Lance Pugmire
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
The camp of Floyd Mayweather Jr. is claiming Manny Pacquiao is declining Olympic-style drug testing for their tentatively scheduled March 13 megafight, with Mayweather representatives going as far to say the bout is in "jeopardy" because of Pacquiao's stance.
Pacquiao has communicated that he'd be willing to give a blood sample only at the kick-off news conference 60 days before the fight, and after the bout, Mayweather representatives claim.
Mayweather's father, Floyd Sr., stated publicly earlier this year that he'd discourage his son from fighting Pacquiao because he suspects the Filipino superstar is using performance-enhancing drugs.
Mayweather's promoter, Richard Schaefer, said he was told earlier today by a Pacquiao promoter that Pacquiao "has difficulty taking blood and doesn't want to do it so close to the fight."
Mayweather responded, "It is our responsaibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level."
We'll have more on this later at latimes.com/sports, and in Wednesday's newspaper.
--Lance Pugmire
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
Mayweather-Pacquiao 'in jeopardy' because Pacquiao refuses Olympic-style drug testing -- The Grand Rapids Press
By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press
Floyd Mayweather's representatives sent a press release declaring the Manny Pacquiao fight is "in jeopardy" tonight after Pacquiao refused to comply with a contractual demand that he submit to Olympic-style random drug testing.
Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's adviser, said the fight would not happen March 13 at MGM Grand, unless Pacquiao complies.
"We're insisting this take place," Ellerbe told The Press. "We're refusing to put our guy in there without it."
Mayweather, in a statement, said he thinks it is the fighters' "responsibility" to comply with the demand his management has made.
"I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does," Mayweather said in the statement. "But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same.
"It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, who has represented Mayweather in the negotiations, said he received notice from Pacquiao's camp Tuesday afternoon that the fighter refused to comply with random drug testing administered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
He said he received the notification from Todd duBoef, who has been handling negotiations for Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank Inc.
"It is unfortunate to hear this from Manny Pacquiao's representatives, particularly since, as of today, both parties had worked out all other issues related to this fight," Schaefer said in the statement. "Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes such as Lance Armstrong, and Olympians Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant."
Ellerbe expressed shock that Pacquiao refused to comply.
The Filipino has been the subject of speculation about whether he has used performance-enhancing drugs since Floyd Mayweather Sr. first broached the issue to The Press in September.
Pacquiao has passed every drug test administered after his fights but others in the boxing community have expressed some doubts since Mayweather Sr.'s initial statements.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the September video in which Mayweather Sr. accused Pacquiao of being on performance-enhancing drugs:
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"We've been going back and forth over this," Ellerbe said. "We insisted on this. As a management team, this is something we insisted upon. The fans in the sport deserve a level playing field. The way to ensure that is through the premier anti-doping agency, and the USADA is the premier anti-doping agency. I just can't imagine him refusing to do this.
"We're an at impasse over the failure to agree to Olympic-style, random drug testing. I can't believe Manny Pacquiao would walk away from the biggest fight in the history of the sport. Maybe the information hasn't gotten back to Manny. I'm not accusing, I'm not speculating. I'm just stating facts."
E-mail David Mayo at dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo
Source: mlive.com
Floyd Mayweather's representatives sent a press release declaring the Manny Pacquiao fight is "in jeopardy" tonight after Pacquiao refused to comply with a contractual demand that he submit to Olympic-style random drug testing.
Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's adviser, said the fight would not happen March 13 at MGM Grand, unless Pacquiao complies.
"We're insisting this take place," Ellerbe told The Press. "We're refusing to put our guy in there without it."
Mayweather, in a statement, said he thinks it is the fighters' "responsibility" to comply with the demand his management has made.
"I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does," Mayweather said in the statement. "But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same.
"It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, who has represented Mayweather in the negotiations, said he received notice from Pacquiao's camp Tuesday afternoon that the fighter refused to comply with random drug testing administered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
He said he received the notification from Todd duBoef, who has been handling negotiations for Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank Inc.
"It is unfortunate to hear this from Manny Pacquiao's representatives, particularly since, as of today, both parties had worked out all other issues related to this fight," Schaefer said in the statement. "Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes such as Lance Armstrong, and Olympians Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant."
Ellerbe expressed shock that Pacquiao refused to comply.
The Filipino has been the subject of speculation about whether he has used performance-enhancing drugs since Floyd Mayweather Sr. first broached the issue to The Press in September.
Pacquiao has passed every drug test administered after his fights but others in the boxing community have expressed some doubts since Mayweather Sr.'s initial statements.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the September video in which Mayweather Sr. accused Pacquiao of being on performance-enhancing drugs:
| Floyd Mayweather Sr.: Manny Pacquiao on supplements, steroids |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"We've been going back and forth over this," Ellerbe said. "We insisted on this. As a management team, this is something we insisted upon. The fans in the sport deserve a level playing field. The way to ensure that is through the premier anti-doping agency, and the USADA is the premier anti-doping agency. I just can't imagine him refusing to do this.
"We're an at impasse over the failure to agree to Olympic-style, random drug testing. I can't believe Manny Pacquiao would walk away from the biggest fight in the history of the sport. Maybe the information hasn't gotten back to Manny. I'm not accusing, I'm not speculating. I'm just stating facts."
E-mail David Mayo at dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo
Source: mlive.com
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